Heat, Cavs, and Nuggets eye free agent DeMar DeRozan

By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña

As the NBA offseason trade saga continues, one big name in the free-agent market remains unsigned and has yet to find a new home.

After officially becoming an unrestricted free agent when the Sacramento Kings waived him on July 6, 2026, NBA veteran shooting guard DeMar DeRozan remains one of the most valuable players on the market, with three teams already ramping up their offers to sign the midrange maestro for the 2026–27 season.

According to ESPN senior NBA insider Shams Charania, the Miami Heat, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Denver Nuggets have emerged as DeRozan’s top three destinations.

Specific contract negotiations among the three franchises have yet to be disclosed, but the teams share a common need ahead of the next NBA season: additional scoring.

Despite landing Giannis Antetokounmpo this offseason, the Heat sacrificed a significant portion of their outside scoring, specifically with the loss of Tyler Herro and Jaime Jaquez Jr., two of their most consistent scorers last season.

Without Herro and Jaquez Jr., the Heat have lost two major contributors in 3-point shooting, as well as bench scoring when head coach Erik Spoelstra experiments with lineups.

For Cleveland, a third scoring option in the backcourt remains a need after head coach Kenny Atkinson decided to play James Harden and Donovan Mitchell together in the starting lineup.

Several NBA analysts believe DeRozan would be a great fit for the Cavaliers off the bench, providing scoring for the second unit while allowing Harden and Mitchell more time to rest.

Denver is in a similar situation, as Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray’s scoring alone failed to push the Nuggets deeper into last season’s playoffs.

Their first-round loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves was clear evidence that they needed another reliable scorer, as the one-two punch of Jokic and Murray could not propel Denver to a series win despite averaging a combined 60 points over six games.

During his final season in Sacramento, DeRozan still posted strong numbers, averaging 18.4 points, 4.1 assists, and 2.9 rebounds per game.