Report: DeRozan interested in joining the Heat! After being cut by the Kings, multiple teams are competing for him, including the Lakers and Clippers.

On July 7th Beijing time, the Kings officially announced that they had waived DeRozan. Following that, reports emerged that DeRozan would be pursued by multiple teams, such as the Heat, Pistons, Knicks, Lakers, Clippers, and Raptors. Heat beat reporter Jackson stated that DeRozan himself is interested in joining Miami.

According to salary website Spotrac, DeRozan's cap hit for the 2026-27 season is $25.7 million, of which only $10 million is guaranteed. After LaVine exercised his $49 million player option for next season, the Kings' salary cap pressure increased sharply. Spreading DeRozan's guaranteed salary over multiple years against the cap would help the team manage future payroll issues.

ESPN salary expert Bobby Marks revealed that after LaVine exercised his player option, the Kings' payroll exceeded the first tax apron by $13 million, and their total salary is approaching the more punitive second tax apron.

Now DeRozan is expected to sign with a championship-contending team this offseason (whether it's the Heat or not), returning to the playoff stage for the first time since 2022.

Another Heat beat reporter, Winderman, reported that Miami has listed DeRozan as a target and is interested in bringing him in to form a trio with Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo.

Last season, DeRozan played 77 regular-season games, averaging 18.4 points, 2.9 rebounds, 4.1 assists, and 1.0 steals per game. The Kings originally acquired DeRozan in July 2024 via a three-team sign-and-trade deal worth $74 million over three years.

At that time, the team hoped that pairing DeRozan with Fox and Sabonis would give the Kings a realistic chance to contend for a championship in the 2024-25 season. However, things did not go as planned—the team underperformed, lost in the play-in tournament in 2025, and Fox was traded away. Last season, the Kings' record plummeted to 22-60, finishing 14th in the Western Conference and completely missing the playoffs.

Now the Kings' front office has to confront the tough challenge of determining the team's future direction. Sabonis is also deeply involved in trade rumors. After trading Fox and waiving DeRozan, the Kings will likely enter a full rebuild.