With the NBA universe descending upon Toronto for All-Star Weekend, all eyes are on the Raptors’ two All-Stars, Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan, and deservedly so. With that attention, though, is likely to come a common question for one half of the duo: Will DeRozan be here next year?
DeRozan is a sure bet to decline his $10.1-million player option for next season, and given the restrictive rules in the CBA surrounding contract extensions, he’ll hit the market as an unrestricted free agent. He’ll do so right as the salary cap sky-rockets, pushing his potential max contract – something he’s earned by the benchmarks of the market – to an estimated $25.3 million starting salary and $145.5 million over five years, the latter being a deal only the Raptors can offer.
With the league’s marketplace flooded with cap space and a thin free agent market, DeRozan will stand as one of the marquee targets, with multiple max offers heading his way.
Still, it’s long seemed unlikely DeRozan goes anywhere. All organizations and players pay lip service to the desire for the relationship to last in perpetuity, but in DeRozan’s case, he and general manager Masai Ujiri have seemed genuine and earnest in their belief that he’ll remain with the franchise long-term. Ujiri said in early January that the organization believes it has a good shot at keeping him, and DeRozan’s always said the right things about loving the city and the franchise and wanting to be a Raptor for life.
On Thursday, DeRozan spoke to ESPN’s Marc Stein and continued to say more of the same, telling Stein it would be “pretty tough” for an inquiring team to pry him from The 6ix this summer. Here’s DeRozan:
My whole mindset has always been this is home for me. I never think otherwise unless it’s brought up to me, or you see things, or people ask you about certain things.
This has always been home to me. I took pride in putting on this Toronto Raptors jersey since I’ve been drafted here. And my whole goal was to get this team to the point where it is now. And I feel I’ve been a major key to that.
Lowry told Stein he won’t pressure or recruit DeRozan, putting friendship first, as he’d expect when he can become a free agent in 2017. Still, DeRozan’s relationship with Lowry and the success they’ve enjoyed the last few years could be a major factor in his decision. So, too, could be a potential playoff run this spring.
Fans are within their rights to worry until pen is to paper in July, but the odds of DeRozan staying have always seemed 50-50 or better, even with all the potential suitors, including his hometown Los Angeles Lakers. Things can still change, teams will recruit him hard, and the Raptors have three months to get through before determining exactly where they are and need to move on the development curve. Were I to guess, I’d put the odds at somewhere in the 67-33 area for DeRozan staying, and even that might be overly cautious.
