Coming a surprise to possibly nobody, the rumbling of DeMar DeRozan opting out of his contract at season’s end is starting to gain some traction. The Raptors elected to not extend his contract this season because it’s been reported that he is interested in testing the free agency market.
We’ve seen this before. Players like to flirt and poke around to see what teams are interested in them. The players like to just feel wanted and get taken out to dinner, shown what could be given to them and what other organizations have to offer. It’s just a human emotion to want to be wanted. (Sorry Robert Sarver, it’s not just ‘millennials’.)
So would you be surprised to find out the Brooklyn Nets have an interest in DeMar DeRozan?
Following from Brian Lewis of the New York Post.
The Nets will have about $40 million in cap space this summer, and they got an up-close look Wednesday at one of their primary expected targets: DeMar DeRozan.
The Toronto shooting guard had 15 points, five assists, four boards and two steals in the Raptors’ 91-74 win at Barclays Center. He has a player option worth just more than $10 million for next season, but a source close to DeRozan told The Post that he will opt out, becoming a free agent. But that doesn’t guarantee he’ll be a Net, or anything other than a Raptor.
“I can tell you he’ll opt out. But how he feels about Brooklyn — or anybody else — I can’t say. Only he can answer that,’’ said the source, who added that DeRozan feels he’s been treated well by the Raptors and “has a trait that’s been lost by so many players. It’s called loyalty.”
According to reports, the Nets have a dream backcourt scenario in mind with DeRozan and a strong Lionel Hollins supporter in Mike Conley possibly getting a call from the Nets to join Brook Lopez and Thaddeus Young to build a potentially dangerous team in Brooklyn. The Nets have the cap space to make the moves but do these players all want to do that?
Well, until we hear more, for now it’s all just speculation but a Nets team with those four guys could be a dangerous squad in the Eastern Conference.
