Woj: DeMar DeRozan May Have to Take 1-Year Contract amid LeBron James, Lakers Buzz

Veteran shooting guard DeMar DeRozan is one of the best players still available on the open market, but it appears that he likely won't receive the deal he's hoping for this offseason.

ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported on Tuesday's episode of SportsCenter that while DeRozan is drawing interest from teams like the Los Angeles Lakers, there simply isn't a lot of money available and he could be better off signing a one-year deal for the 2024-25 season.

"The Lakers have interest. How do they acquire DeMar DeRozan, that becomes a much different scenario," Wojnarowski explained. "LeBron James has talked about a willingness to take significantly less money to open up their mid-level exception. I think in DeMar DeRozan's case, and it may not be as appealing to him, but it may look like a one-year deal somewhere."

DeRozan has spent the last three seasons with the Chicago Bulls but appears likely to depart in free agency this offseason. Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times reported that the "final straw" for DeRozan was the Bulls trading combo guard Alex Caruso for Josh Giddey last month, so the 34-year-old is now expected to pursue a new destination.

After the Lakers fell short in their pursuit of free-agent guard Klay Thompson, who chose to join the Dallas Mavericks, Chris Haynes of Turner Sports reported on Monday that there has been "communication between the Lakers and DeMar's agent Aaron Goodwin."

However, Los Angeles would have some work to do to add DeRozan to the roster. Wojnarowski explained that a sign-and-trade would lock DeRozan into a three-year deal and deny him the chance to explore the open market next summer when the salary cap is expected to rise.

"Let the market reset next year because if you do a sign-and-trade, it's got to be at least three years. And now you're locked into a three-year deal at a number you may not like," Wojnarowski said. "The Lakers are interested, but is there a mechanism that would allow them to create a slot to acquire him. That's going to be the harder part."

A six-time All-Star, DeRozan would be a difference maker on a contending team, but it sounds like he will need to accept a short-term deal if he hopes to compete for a title next season.