DeMar DeRozan agrees with Nuggets on 1-year deal for veteran minimum, AP source says

DeMar DeRozan has agreed to sign a one-year contract with the Denver Nuggets worth the veteran minimum of $3.9 million, a person with knowledge of the deal said Friday. It will be DeRozan’s fifth team in his 18th season, a six-time All-Star seeking his first championship. The addition of DeRozan gives the Nuggets a veteran backcourt presence after sending young, versatile wing Peyton Watson to Cleveland as part of a four-team trade. Watson, 23, started a career-high 40 games last season, averaging career-best stats in points (14.6), rebounds (4.9), and assists (2.1). He missed the first-round series with a hamstring injury, and the Nuggets were eliminated by Minnesota. Aaron Gordon also suffered calf tightness in the series. Bringing in a veteran like DeRozan may help demonstrate commitment to All-NBA center Nikola Jokic, who reiterated his desire to stay with Denver. Jokic held off signing his contract extension until next summer, when he could sign a five-year supermax deal worth around $350 million. The Nuggets won their first NBA title in 2023 but have been eliminated early in the last three postseasons. They signed forward/center Marvin Bagley III this summer and brought back Spencer Jones by matching the Thunder’s offer sheet, pushing Denver into the second apron and complicating roster construction. DeRozan, the ninth overall pick by Toronto in 2009, spent his first nine seasons with the Raptors before being traded to San Antonio for Kawhi Leonard, who won the title in his only season there in 2018-19. DeRozan spent three seasons with the Spurs and three with Chicago before joining Sacramento for the past two seasons. He was part of sign-and-trade deals with the Bulls and Kings. DeRozan averaged 18.4 points last season, ending a 12-year streak of averaging at least 20 points per game. He has had just two winning seasons since going to the playoffs his last five years with the Raptors. DeRozan made the postseason once with Chicago.