DeMar DeRozan is the enigmatic star who could make or break free agency

This summer’s free agency market has been considered slim for the greater part of a year. But DeMar DeRozan, well he could crash the whole scene.

Once Anthony Davis was traded from the New Orleans Pelicans to the Los Angeles Lakers, this summer’s free agency class lost its luster. Now, the top names available are leaning more towards opting into their player options, and pushing their decisions to next summer.

Top talents with player options this offseason include Gordon Hayward, Andre Drummond, Evan Fournier, and DeMar DeRozan. But all the teams with serious money to spend are in rebuild mode: the New York Knicks, Atlanta Hawks, and Memphis Grizzlies.

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That being said, this summer presents an opportunity for other teams to pounce on the limited availability in terms of cap space. And the same goes for some of the top players available. Could both a team and player agree to a shorter-term deal with hopes of winning a championship?

The one name to watch: DeRozan, who’s fit with the San Antonio Spurs may be so poor that he opts out of his $27 million player option in order to find a new home. And if he plays his cards right, he could very well tip the balance of power at the top of the league’s standings.

No one’s talking about the 30-year old shooting guard who posted 22.2 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 5.6 assists this season. On a team that missed the playoffs by a significant margin out West.

Per Basketball Reference, DeRozan is one of just 8 qualifying players averaging a minimum of 20 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists per game this season. Every other player on that list is currently on a team, that if the postseason started today, would be playoff eligible.

And DeRozan’s largely unfamiliar with losing basketball. He spent the first 9 years of his career with the Toronto Raptors, before serving as the primary piece of return in the Kawhi Leonard deal. In that time, he and the Raptors went 382-340, which is a .529 win percentage.

The four-time All-Star has been to the playoffs in 6 of 11 career seasons. He could very well leave San Antonio with hopes of returning to the postseason next year with a new team.

The other factor at play? DeRozan could be looking for a long-term commitment, ahead of a 2021 free agency class that features a plethora of top names. He’s already been linked to the Orlando Magic on the trade market, but a number of other teams could be at play for his services.

Clubs like the Brooklyn Nets, the Miami Heat, and the aforementioned Magic make sense.

The former will be starting the season with a newly healthy duo in Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant. But with both stars prone to injury, could they turn to DeRozan for health insurance?

The shooting guard has played in 70 or more regular season games in 8 of 10 seasons, if you’re not counting this year, which ended abruptly due to the COVID-19 outbreak.

Miami is a team filled to the brim with inexperience. They rely heavily on Kendrick Nunn (rookie) and Duncan Robinson (undrafted last season) to support Jimmy Butler. The Heat were also previously rumored as a trade destination for DeRozan ahead of the deadline.

And it’d be unwise to rule out a return to Toronto, who’ll be likely losing both Marc Gasol and Serge Ibaka to free agency, opening up somewhat of a hole to offer DeRozan a new payday.

The fact of the matter is this: whoever lands DeMar DeRozan will be acquiring one of the best shooting guards in the NBA, a true master to the art of the mid-range. If he finds himself on a team already prepped for the playoffs, that team may just become championship hopefuls.