With DeMar DeRozan and Bismack Biyombo facing free agency, the Raptors may not have the cap flexibility to bring back both players. However, according to Sam Amick of USA Today, Biyombo has “very real interest” in re-signing in Toronto, even if that includes waiting out DeRozan’s free agency and navigating cap challenges to make it all work.
Whether that will be a realistic outcome remains to be seen. Assuming the Raptors don’t trade any of their players, and the salary cap lands in the $94MM neighborhood, the team won’t be able to offer Biyombo anything close to the $15MM salary he may be able to land on the open market. Still, the 23-year-old center has indicated he’d be open to a “hometown discount” to remain in Toronto, and he doesn’t intend to rush into an agreement with another team when the free agent period opens.
As for DeRozan, he reportedly has no plans to meet with any teams besides the Raptors, and Amick suggests the All-Star guard may even be willing to accept a little less than the max from Toronto if it helps the team accommodate a new deal for Biyombo. If DeRozan does explore the market though, he’ll have no shortage of suitors. Amick lists the Clippers, Warriors, Heat, Knicks, and Magic as clubs with interest in DeRozan.
Here are a few more free agent rumors from around the NBA:
- Despite trading veteran forward Thaddeus Young for a draft pick last week, the Nets don’t appear set to enter full rebuilding mode. Sources tell Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders (Twitter link) that the team has formed a plan to pursue multiple veteran free agents.
- There’s strong mutual interest between Joakim Noah and the Knicks, according to Marc Berman of The New York Post. A source tells Berman that Noah is eager to sit down with the Knicks once he reaches free agency.
- Ryan Anderson and Courtney Lee are expected to be two of the Kings‘ top targets in free agency, according to James Ham of CSN California (link via Dan Feldman of Pro Basketball Talk).
- With July 1st around the corner, the Grizzlies are increasing their efforts to re-sign Mike Conley — the team published a video to its website dubbing Conley the team’s “conductor,” with minority owner Justin Timberlake and multiple Grizzlies players praising the point guard’s play in Memphis.