With NBA Summer League now over and the Utah Jazz with a full roster, one would think that no further roster moves are coming in Salt Lake City. But on a team coming off a 22-60 season, the worst thing a front office can do is leave stones unturned.
Free agency has wound down, and the options on the market are limited at this point, outside of LeBron James and Jalen Duren. One of the significant free agents remaining wasn't available until a recent buyout - DeMar DeRozan.
As a 17-year NBA veteran, one would think DeRozan is near the end of his useful days as a rotation player, but they would be wrong. He has averaged 23 points a night over the past seven seasons, including 18 points a night last year, while shooting just under 50% from the field with the Sacramento Kings.
He still gets to the line (5.6 attempts per game in 2025-26), takes care of the ball well, averages over four assists per game, and he's remarkably durable - averaging 76 games a year over his last five seasons.
The biggest reason he hasn't signed anywhere yet? LeBron James' pending free agent decison. Several of the teams that will miss out in that hunt are rumored to have interest in DeRozan as a fallback option.
He would strengthen a Jazz rotation that needs a player with his skills, but wouldn't be around longer than a few years due to his age (he'll be 37 by the start of the 2026-27 season).
He's still good enough to start in the NBA, though he could be an excellent sixth man for 25 minutes a night, also.
The Jazz could do a lot worse than bringing in a solid veteran for their young guys to learn from, especially one who's still relevant and has a lot of playoff experience.
Why getting DeRozan is unlikely for Utah, even if he would be a perfect fit
DeRozan was set to make $25 million this season before his buyout with the Kings. While he's still slated to receive $10 million in dead money from that, he will likely want a bigger salary than the Jazz could offer at this point, with his career winding down.
Could the Jazz convince DeRozan to take both a pay cut and a minutes cut as well? With the many young players the Jazz are trying to grow into core pieces, is it worth giving DeRozan significant minutes while bringing Ace Bailey or Darryn Peterson off the bench?
Also worth mentioning are teams like Boston, Detroit, the LA Lakers, and Miami. Each would make some sense as DeRozan's next team this free agent cycle, and they would all offer a path closer to an elusive ring for DeRozan, while the Jazz would offer him a team hoping to make the playoffs this year.
So while DeRozan might be a perfect fit in Utah on paper, it's unlikely to happen. Still, Jazz fans can hope for a signing like this, which would boost the team's playoff chances immediately.
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