Only seven teams remain in the quest for the ring this season with the Toronto Raptors currently battling it out with Dwyane Wade’s Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference. Although the Raptors have been able to hold their own against the Heat, DeMar DeRozan has struggled throughout the NBA playoffs leading many to believe he may have hurt his value with free agency less than two months away.
If DeRozan opts out of his deal with the Raptors as expected, the veteran guard will likely be one of the most sought-after free agents this summer. Unfortunately, his poor play as of late may have teams second-guessing whether he’s worth the max deal he’ll be offered. DeRozan, however, believes he’s got nothing to worry about and is only focusing on his next game, via Michael Lee of The Vertical:
“I feel like I have nothing to worry about,” DeRozan said of his pending free agency. “I take it day by day, whatever happens. I’m not even looking towards then. I’m thinking about the next game and trying to figure out that.”
DeRozan is currently averaging career-low numbers across the board during the Raptors playoff run. The 26-year-old has played 11 games thus far in the postseason as the Raptors continue and despite averaging 17.7 points per game, the USC product is shooting a cringeworthy 33 percent from the floor and 15.8 percent from beyond the arc.
The California native is known for being a scorer who can put up 20 to 30 points on any given night, but his shooting has always left something to be desired. DeRozan’s shooting woes have hit an all-time low at the worst time with teams gauging their interest in the free-agent-to-be.
The Los Angeles Lakers are expected to be among the teams ready to jump at the opportunity to sign DeRozan this summer. Rumors have already begun to circulate around the league that he’s willing to leave Toronto for Los Angeles when the time comes. It’ll be interesting to see if the Lakers and other NBA teams continue to have a keen interest in the pending free agent if he continues to struggle in the postseason.
