The Nuggets are adding another bucket-getter to their offense.
DeMar DeRozan, whose 26,711 career points rank 16th in NBA history, is signing a one-year veteran minimum contract to join the Nuggets for his 18th season in the league, two sources told The Denver Post on Friday, confirming a .
DeRozan will make $3.9 million in Denver plus the $10 million he’s owed by the Sacramento Kings, who waived him in July to allow him to find a new team. His previous contract included a $25.7 million salary for the upcoming season, but only $10 million of that was guaranteed.
Now the Nuggets are snagging DeRozan for a bargain — his cap hit will add only $2.45 million to the most expensive payroll in the league.
The 37-year-old wing averaged 18.4 points and 4.1 assists per game in Sacramento last year, shooting 49.7% from the floor and 32% from deep. A lethal midrange shooter and six-time All-Star, DeRozan will make Denver his fifth home in the NBA. He’s played for the Raptors, Spurs, Bulls and Kings.
The Nuggets have been monitoring DeRozan’s situation in Sacramento dating back to February, when they were prepared to pursue him on the buyout market if the Kings had released him then, league sources told The Post.
When he became a free agent this summer, Denver put together a sustained recruitment that involved players, coaches and executives, one source close to DeRozan said. Aaron Gordon and assistant coach Jared Dudley were two of the key individuals with prior relationships to DeRozan who spoke with him in recent weeks.
Miami, Detroit and Cleveland were the other suitors DeRozan concentrated on throughout his free agency process, the source said. He ultimately was most impressed by Denver’s recruiting effort, which convinced him to make a decision based on fit rather than money.
The Nuggets have been searching for more ball-handling and shot creation this offseason to aid Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray — a pursuit that even included a brief foray into the LeBron James sweepstakes. Their need for those attributes increased this week with the loss of Peyton Watson in a sign-and-trade that was finalized Thursday.
After the acquisition of DeRozan, their payroll is about $4 million above the second apron with 14 roster spots filled and one vacant. They carried 14 players on their active roster for most of last season to avoid the NBA luxury tax.
DeRozan has remained durable into his late 30s. He’s appeared in at least 85% of regular-season games for 11 consecutive years, and he’s missed only 13 games combined in the last three seasons. But he hasn’t had a taste of playoff basketball since 2022, when the Bulls lost in the first round.
The veteran scorer has also started the last 1,187 regular-season games in which he’s played. If he comes off the bench in Denver, it will be the first time since April 14, 2010, when he was a rookie.
