DeMar DeRozan Says He's Not Thinking About 2021 NBA Free Agency After Spurs' Loss
May 20, 2021
DeMar DeRozan wasn't ready to think about his future plans following the San Antonio Spurs' season-ending loss to the Memphis Grizzlies in the NBA play-in tournament on Wednesday night.
Speaking to reporters after the game, DeRozan said he had no thoughts about his impending free agency because he wanted to help his teammates keep their heads up after the 100-96 defeat.
San Antonio finished 10th in the Western Conference with a 33-39 record. It missed the playoffs for the second consecutive year following 22 straight appearances from 1998 to 2019.
DeRozan, who just finished his third season with the Spurs, will be an unrestricted free agent this offseason.
There's been speculation about his future with the organization dating back to last offseason.
One anonymous NBA agent told The Athletic's Ben Standig and Mike Vorkunov in October that DeRozan "doesn’t like San Antonio and doesn’t want to be there."
The four-time All-Star disputed that report during training camp in December.
"If something doesn't come out of my mouth, I advise don't believe it," DeRozan told reporters.
Head coach Gregg Popovich has expressed a high opinion of DeRozan's contributions to the organization.
"He deserved to be on the All-Star team, in my opinion," Popovich told reporters in February. "He's helped us win, put us in good position. He's scored; he's distributed the basketball; his leadership's been amazing."
ESPN's Bobby Marks noted that the Charlotte Hornets, New York Knicks, Dallas Mavericks and Miami Heat are among the teams that could look for a scorer this offseason and have cap space to sign a player like DeRozan.
The Spurs acquired DeRozan from the Toronto Raptors in July 2018 as part of the Kawhi Leonard trade. He has been a reliable starter in San Antonio for the past three seasons.
DeRozan averaged 21.6 points on 50.1 percent shooting and 6.2 assists in 206 starts with the Spurs.
Given how many stars signed extensions with their current teams last offseason, DeRozan will likely be one of the best players available in free agency this summer. He's only 31 years old and an effective scorer who became a better distributor during his time with the Spurs.