Wizards Having Conversations with Free Agent DeMar DeRozan

With one roster spot left, the Washington Wizards are looking to fill it with DeMar DeRozan.

Apr 5, 2026; Sacramento, California, USA; Sacramento Kings guard DeMar DeRozan (10) before the game against the LA Clippers at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The offseason is ramping back up thanks to LeBron James making his final decision. That one decision has led other players to sign or have conversations with teams. The first domino was Mario Hezonja, then later Draymond Green. Now the Washington Wizards want some of the action, and it seems their target may be Demar Derozan.

Wizards Talking with DeRozan

Apr 1, 2026; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Sacramento Kings forward DeMar DeRozan (10) greets Toronto Raptors guard Markelle Fultz (20) at the end of the game at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Shams Charania recently reported that the Wizards are one of the few teams that have had conversations regarding the 37-year-old wing. Among the Wizards' other teams interested in DeRozan are the Miami Heat, Denver Nuggets, and Cleveland Cavaliers. This shows there is a market out there for the long-time NBA wing. The question, though, is this really the right move for the Wizards?

Shams: Wizards have had some conversations with DeMar DeRozan over the last several days.pic.twitter.com/tQ8wZoINZ3

— Underdog NBA (@UnderdogNBA) July 28, 2026

Murphy's Law states that "everything that can go wrong, will go wrong." The worst-case scenario for the Wizards is that they suffer five injuries at the same time, leaving them with no more depth amid a fight for a playoff spot. DeRozan can at least keep the Wizards afloat for 10 games and still be in that race. The opposite can also be said: that DeRozan actually regresses even more, leading to more losses during that injured stretch.

DeRozan may not be fine with a role where he is not even the tenth best player on a team. Minutes would be extremely hard to come by for him, and his other suitors seem like better options. The Nuggets need depth, and he would be one of their first players off the bench. The same can be said for the Heat, and the Cavaliers could use him, but not nearly as much as Miami or Denver.

Another benefit is mentorship for other wings. Kyshawn George could learn some offensive moves from DeRozan, such as getting to his spots more in the mid-range. The same can be said for Will Riley, who can also learn more from the veteran. So there are plenty of pros, but we also need to talk about the cons.

The main negative with DeRozan is that he does not bring much to the team. He does not fill a positional need, nor does the team need another veteran mentor. Trading for Khris Middleton solved that issue, and the one position they could use is a backup point guard. So this leaves Derozan with no place on the Wizards squad if he is signed there.

Verdict

Overall, he should not be one of the top options in free agency. There are still better players like Russell Westbrook and Gary Payton II that fill more pressing needs. DeRozan is also probably not even going to sign with Washington unless he is promised playing time. For playing time, Denver and Miami just make so much more sense for him instead of Washington. Although the team has had conversations with him, expect it to stop there, and Will Dawkins to look at a different free agent, specifically a point guard.

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