DeMar DeRozan Turned Down 4 Marquee Teams To Sign in Sacramento

DeMar DeRozan has revealed that he considered joining four big-market, big-name teams in free agency this summer, before deciding to go to Sacramento to join the Kings.

DeMar DeRozan said he considered the Lakers, Clippers, Heat, and Sixers before joining the Kings

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Speaking on Podcast P with Paul George, DeRozan named the LA Lakers, LA Clippers, Miami Heat, and Philadelphia Sixers as the markets that were on his radar.

"Those teams were the real, personal legitimate options for me that I was considering." It's perhaps surprising that the six-time All-Star did not try to get himself home to LA to play.

This is the second time that DeRozan had a chance to consider playing in his hometown alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis, when he was last a free agent in the summer of 2021, before the Lakers went out and got Russell Westbrook instead, and DeRozan signed a three-year deal with the Chicago Bulls.

As for Philly, they got their man this offseason in George, while the other three teams DeRozan had his eye on did not make the big splash this summer that they were hoping to.

DeRozan told PG13 that after the 2023-24 season, he admitted to himself that the Bulls were not going to be a contender going forward, in making his decision to move on this summer.

The 34-year-old wound up going to Sacramento on a three-year, $73.9 million deal in a sign-and-trade.

He averaged 24.0 points last season, with 5.3 assists, 4.3 rebounds and 1.1 steals in 79 games, while also coming in as the runner-up in balloting for the NBA's Clutch Player of the Year award.