If there is a reason that we’re seeing the level of Miami Heat trade rumors around DeMar DeRozan that we have seen in the NBA lately, it likely can be traced back to 2018. That, of course, is when DeRozan was the chief chip sent to San Antonio in the deal that brought Kawhi Leonard to Toronto. The Raptors went on to win a championship with Leonard, and DeRozan did not get the chance to play for a title.
In fact, DeRozan has not even gotten close. He played in one postseason series with the Spurs and another with the Bulls. But he has not advanced out of the first round since leaving the Raptors. And at age 34, he really wants to change that.
Erik Spoelstra could want nothing more than to make that happen. A Miami Heat trade for DeRozan would bring the coach the kind of versatile, high-scoring power forward he is lacking now. DeRozan is in the final year of a three-year, $82 million contract the signed in Chicago, making him a potentially perfect fit for the Heat, who are not seeking to add more money to their future ledger.
Of all the player out there people are floating for the Heat, they’re not close to doing anything now, but DeMar DeRozan would be the one that has legs,” one Eastern Conference executive told Heavy Sports. “He is as close to what they’re looking for as they’re going to find. Perfect fit, really.”
And the Heat are close to what DeMar DeRozan is looking for, too. He badly wants to chance to win a championship as a contributing player, while he still can. Over the weekend, The Athletic’s Sam Amick wrote that the Heat and Knicks were DeRozan’s preferred trade destinations. Both places would land him with a contender and with a team that could use his talents.
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