Report: “Whispers circulate” that DeMar DeRozan will seek max deal (worth $25.3 million) next summer

"Whispers continue to circulate that DeMar DeRozan’s camp will be after the new mid-max (a whopping $25.3 million) a year from now and there is no way the Raptors will be comfortable footing that bid."

Decisions, decisions with DeMar DeRozan.

This should come as a surprise to no one, but DeRozan and his representation are looking to get paid next summer. DeRozan has a player option worth $9.5 million for 2016-17 and with the cap about to explode, he will almost assuredly turn down his option and become an unrestricted free agent.

DeRozan will likely be looking for the max. As written by Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun:

Ujiri also could swing a deal involving part of his core. Whispers continue to circulate that DeMar DeRozan’s camp will be after the new mid-max (a whopping $25.3 million) a year from now and there is no way the Raptors will be comfortable footing that bid.

The first part comes as no surprise. DeRozan is slated to become a free agent at a time where nearly every team in the NBA will have cap room. $25.3 million is an overpay, but in an auction, it only takes one overzelous buyer. And should that happen, the Raptors are stuck with trying to match that price (not ideal), or walking away with nothing (even less ideal).

The second part is more telling. It reads as speculative on the part of Wolstat, so I wouldn’t necessarily interpret it as a definitive reflection of Masai Ujiri’s thinking (and if we’re being honest, no one knows what Ujiri is thinking, not even the almighty Adrian Wojnarowski). Still, it’s a line of thought I happen to agree with. DeRozan is a very good player and is currently on a bargain contract, but I wouldn’t devote over 25% of the cap to a player of his caliber.

I wrote about the Raptors’ decision with DeRozan back in May:

For all his improvements, DeRozan’s game still leaves a lot to be desired. He has some pretty damning shortcomings.

Efficiency — specifically, low efficiency — has come to define DeRozan’s abilities as a scorer. It’s not entirely on his shoulders. He has not played with a lot of talent around him, nor has he played in particularly effective schemes.

But facts are facts. Over half of DeRozan’s field-goal attempts originate from the mid-range, where he shoots around 40 percent. He gets to the line a ton, but he rarely launches threes, nor can he hit them with any kind of consistency. In an era where teams are gravitating towards a pace-and-space attack built upon getting threes, to the basket, or to the line, DeRozan only checks off two of the criteria, while taking plenty off the table with his mid-range chucking.

DeRozan’s skillset is diverse. He can do a lot of things on offense. He’s developed into a passable ball-handler and a capable (though not particularly effective) attacker off the pick-and-roll. He’s shown the ability to create for teammates and is lethal when he gets enough daylight to attack the basket. He can finish with both hands around the hoop and knows how to coax contact. He has an effective post-up game to exploit switches, and he is a good spot-up shooter, especially inside the arc.

However, DeRozan has shown little indication that he can be the proverbial number one guy. He has never once posted an above-average true-shooting percentage mark. He scores in high volume, but he doesn’t exactly have an unbeatable move, either. Wings like James Harden and LeBron James can always get themselves to the basket when their jumpers aren’t working. DeRozan isn’t like that. He doesn’t have the requisite ball-handling skills to beat double-teams or bigger defenders. That’s why players like Jimmy Butler, Joe Johnson and even Otto Porter can routinely shut him down. Worse comes to worst, opposing defenses can double DeRozan on the perimeter, which almost assuredly bottles him up.

At the same time, DeRozan also lacks the requisite skills to be a complementary piece. He can’t shoot from deep and the ball has a tendency to stick in his hands. That’s basically death for perimeter players in the modern NBA. DeRozan also only tops out at a good defender, so it’s not like he’s shutting down players the way a jumper-less Tony Allen does. That makes DeRozan an awkward fit, both in terms of being a leading man and as a supporting character. He has plenty of skills, but he doesn’t quite fit a prescribed role.