DENVER — 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 for a six-time All-Star looking for his first championship. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the agreement hasn't been announced.
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. The 23-year-old Watson started a career-high 40 games last season and averaged career bests in points (14.6), rebounds (4.9) and assists (2.1). He missed the first-round series with a hamstring injury as the Nuggets were eliminated by Minnesota. Aaron Gordon also was hampered by calf tightness in the series.
Bringing in a veteran like DeRozan may go a long way in showing All-NBA center Nikola Jokic the team is committed to staying competitive. Last month, Jokic reiterated his desire to remain with Denver. He held off signing his contract extension until next summer when he can sign a five-year supermax contract that would be 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 forward Spencer Jones by matching the Oklahoma City Thunder's offer sheet.
It's a deal that pushed Denver into the second apron. Crossing into that territory makes roster construction increasingly difficult.
DeRozan, the ninth overall pick by Toronto in 2009, spent his first nine seasons with the Raptors, only to get traded to San Antonio for Kawhi Leonard as his former team won the title in Leonard's only season in 2018-19.
The 37-year-old DeRozan spent three seasons with the Spurs and three with Chicago before joining Sacramento the past two seasons. He was part of sign-and-trade deals in the moves to the Bulls and Kings.
DeRozan averaged 18.4 points last season, ending a 12-year run 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.
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