With DeMar DeRozan and Bismack Biyombo facing free agency, the Raptors may not have the cap flexibility to bring back both players. However, according to Sam Amick of USA Today, Biyombo has “very real interest” in re-signing in Toronto, even if that includes waiting out DeRozan’s free agency and navigating cap challenges to make it all work.
Whether that will be a realistic outcome remains to be seen. Assuming the Raptors don’t trade any of their players, and the salary cap lands in the $94MM neighborhood, the team won’t be able to offer Biyombo anything close to the $15MM salary he may be able to land on the open market. Still, the 23-year-old center has indicated he’d be open to a “hometown discount” to remain in Toronto, and he doesn’t intend to rush into an agreement with another team when the free agent period opens.
As for DeRozan, he reportedly has no plans to meet with any teams besides the Raptors, and Amick suggests the All-Star guard may even be willing to accept a little less than the max from Toronto if it helps the team accommodate a new deal for Biyombo. If DeRozan does explore the market though, he’ll have no shortage of suitors. Amick lists the Clippers, Warriors, Heat, Knicks, and Magic as clubs with interest in DeRozan.
Here are a few more free agent rumors from around the NBA:
- Despite trading veteran forward Thaddeus Young for a draft pick last week, the Nets don’t appear set to enter full rebuilding mode. Sources tell Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders (Twitter link) that the team has formed a plan to pursue multiple veteran free agents.
- There’s strong mutual interest between Joakim Noah and the Knicks, according to Marc Berman of The New York Post. A source tells Berman that Noah is eager to sit down with the Knicks once he reaches free agency.
- Ryan Anderson and Courtney Lee are expected to be two of the Kings‘ top targets in free agency, according to James Ham of CSN California (link via Dan Feldman of Pro Basketball Talk).
- With July 1st around the corner, the Grizzlies are increasing their efforts to re-sign Mike Conley — the team published a video to its website dubbing Conley the team’s “conductor,” with minority owner Justin Timberlake and multiple Grizzlies players praising the point guard’s play in Memphis.
I just read that he may listen to an offer from the Lakers. He being DeRozan. I still don’t see him leaving Toronto but I would like to see him come to the Lakers if this is true. I’m mostly curious about Whiteside because of the fact that he said he wants to decide the first day of free agency where he is going. Find that strange. He just know already where is going. My bet is he stays with the Heat. He legally can’t take offers from a teams until Friday so for him to make his mind up in one day to me means he knows where he is going that’s where is already has been playing.
The Lakers are a few seasons away from being a desired destination for top free agents. It would be shocking if DeRozan goes there.
I would disagree a bit. A guy like Durant/LeBron might not want the L.A. spotlight but other players might. Guys like Whiteside/Horford, for example, would instantly become the face of the franchise and would benefit from their max contract and the marketing opportunities they could get in LA. I slightly agree that they are a few seasons away with their current core, but being a team that is willing to spend and could trade from their core/assets to get another top player could be alluring. That’s a lot of possible scenarios, but very few teams offer the combination of free spending, marketing opportunities, and immediate ability/willingness to trade from their core to surround a star.
Thaddeus Young would’ve been nice on the Celtics for 16 or 23 and a second. Could’ve happened if Boston wasn’t responsible for the second biggest fleecing of the century (Shelby Miller trade).
How is Boston responsible for that?
He’s saying that the Shelby Miller deal is the first and the pierce deal is 2nd
I don’t think the Nets would’ve traded Young to the Celtics. In-division rival plus the Nets (basically) owe the Celtics future first round picks.
Wow, the Raptors are really like a family now, willing to sacrifice for one another.
I have always been excessively passionate about this team for almost 20 years now so it can be tough to always remain objective…but Demar is like family to me because I have watched his entire career, roughly 400 hundred games of his and always admired his class and heart. I don’t think I ever doubted one time in 6 years that he would now get to this level.
But to see him focused solely on Toronto and willing to leave a few million dollars on the table for a player like Biyombo is just another example of what a high character guy he truly is.
In my mind, he and now also with Kyle Lowry, are the “unofficial Raptors logos” and Canada would go to war for these two guys. Also with a classy guy like Biyombo this team is legit!
Derozan and Biyombo are both in high demand throughout the league but are willing to take less money to stay in Toronto and play for our great country.
Demar and Lowry have single handedly changed the Raptors organization and culture forever by simply buying into this team and continueing to get better.
Happy Canada day, and 4th of July and let’s hope that we can keep both Demar and Biyombo and magically add a solid power forward through a trade and truly contend for a tittle next year!