Warriors, Lakers, Raptors named possible landing spots for $73 million six-time All-Star
· Yahoo Sports
Warriors, Lakers, Raptors named possible landing spots for $73 million six-time All-Star originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Visit bettingx.club for more information.
The Golden State Warriors need a strong backup plan if they miss out on LeBron James this summer.
Landing an asset who fits the Warriors’ win-now timeline would be ideal. A 36-year-old six-time All-Star forward who was recently waived by the Sacramento Kings does just that, and according to NBC Sports’ Kurt Helin, the Warriors are among the teams that are possible landing spots.
“Detroit (Pistons) is thinking about jumping into that mix (for DeMar DeRozan), reports the Stein Line’s Marc Stein,” Helin wrote Wednesday. “He adds that Detroit needs to finalize its deal with restricted free-agent center Jalen Duren (more on that below) before determining how much they want to spend on a DeRozan pursuit, but they are considering it, according to the report.”
“This report also lists Toronto (Raptors) as a ‘confirmed bidder’ for DeRozan despite multiple people who cover the Raptors saying that DeRozan returning to Toronto is unlikely, mostly for financial reasons.”
“The Lakers, Trail Blazers, and even the Warriors have been mentioned as possible DeRozan destinations, but the level of interest from any of them is in question, and the Lakers could only offer the veteran minimum, which is unlikely to interest DeRozan.”
DeRozan, who averaged 18.4 points per game with the Kings last season before getting released, could serve as a high-level co-star for Stephen Curry in the Bay in 2026-27.
While DeRozan hasn’t made the playoffs since 2022 and is nearly a decade removed from his last respectable postseason run (Raptors-2018), he’s a contributor who can score in the mid-range with the best of them and operate as a dependable closer when it’s winning time.
With Jimmy Butler expected to miss the start of the 2026-27 season, and the possibility of the Warriors striking out on James being legitimate, signing DeRozan could ensure that Golden State doesn’t begin the upcoming campaign on a sour note at the very least.
Of course, it goes without saying that the Warriors’ interest level in DeRozan will depend on how the James sweepstakes end.
More NBA news: