​Although the NBA free-agency period has cooled, DeMar DeRozan remains one of several prominent players still available after being waived by the Sacramento Kings last week. The six-time All-Star wing’s next destination appears closely tied to the biggest potential move in the market, LeBron James, with many teams viewing DeRozan as a strong consolation prize. He has also been connected to the Toronto Raptors, one of his former teams, where his former coach Dwane Casey is among those who would love to see a reunion.
When Toronto selected DeRozan ninth overall in the 2009 NBA Draft, he helped lift the franchise from a lowly Eastern Conference cellar-dweller into a consistent playoff contender. He evolved from a bouncy wing prospect into one of the league’s premier midrange attackers, guiding the Raptors to five straight postseason appearances alongside Kyle Lowry, with Casey steering the ship. Yet Toronto’s quest to reach the NBA Finals remained unfulfilled, as his squads were eliminated three years in a row by LeBron James-led Cleveland before DeRozan was traded to the San Antonio Spurs just over two months after Casey’s departure in 2018.
Eight years later, DeRozan could be presented with a chance to return north of the border, with NBA insider Jake Fischer noting the 36-year-old’s interest in such a move and his connections to several teams pursuing James. Fischer described DeRozan as “almost certainly” destined to land on a veteran minimum with another franchise, and suggested that if Toronto doesn’t land LeBron, teams like Miami, Cleveland, and Golden State could be in play for him.
The possibility of the Raptors reuniting with their all-time leading scorer (13,296 points) drew a quick reaction from Casey. Speaking on SiriusXM NBA Radio over the weekend, Casey said he would welcome such a storybook ending. “That would fill my heart if he did that,” Casey stated. “Because again, he’s like a son. In fact, we lived in the same condo when I first got there, so we walked to practice every day. He was one of the finest young men you have, a great teammate. He was the most talented player on our teams all those years in Toronto. … So, hopefully he could go back. I know money is always an issue at this time of year, but again, I know he’ll make the right decision. … I think it would be a great story for Toronto and for DeMar.”
While Raptors fans would welcome their franchise icon back on a modest contract, team insider Michael Grange suggested that such a reunion is unlikely as Toronto continues to navigate its pending pursuit of better options.