Did DeMar DeRozan Make a Mistake by Not Signing With the Miami Heat This Offseason

MIAMI, Fla. – Despite having a successful summer, the Miami Heat missed an opportunity to add six-time All-Star forward DeMar DeRozan to the roster, who chose the Denver Nuggets’ one-year, $3.88 million offer instead.

The 37-year-old took the opportunity to compete for the Larry O’Brien trophy alongside stars Aaron Gordon, Jamal Murray, and Nikola Jokic. However, head coach David Adelman announced that DeRozan will play a sixth-man role this season. Even with the loss of Peyton Watson this summer in a sign-and-trade with the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Nuggets are looking elsewhere to fill the starting small forward job, likely eight-year veteran Cam Johnson.

DeRozan has started in 1252 of 1264 games (99.1 percent) throughout his 17-year NBA career. He came off the bench as a rookie in the 2009-10 season, then never stepped away from the starting lineup when available. DeRozan’s contract only hits the Nuggets’ cap at $2.45 million, which would fit the Heat’s current financial structure without crossing the first apron threshold.

Usually, it can be difficult for a professional athlete who’s accomplished so much to take a back-seat role. However, DeRozan appears to be taking the Russell Westbrook route. Before retiring, the former league MVP has played a reserve role over the last four years. In 280 games, Westbrook was in the starting lineup 129 times (46.1 percent).

DeRozan will lead a bench unit projected alongside Tyus Jones, Marvin Bagley III, and Julian Strawther. Meanwhile, the Heat had three reserves reach double figures in scoring in a 129-105 preseason win over the Toronto Raptors on Saturday at Quebec City, Canada. DeRozan could have been a part of that, but it would likely require a significant cut in touches, especially when sharing a frontcourt with Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo.

Although the Nuggets offer an opportunity for the three-time All-NBA forward to create for himself offensively and have the ball more, whether or not it results in championship contention remains to be seen under these circumstances.

The Heat have a smoother path to the NBA Finals, even in a loaded Eastern Conference. They won’t have to go through a 7-4 rising star in San Antonio Spurs’ Victor Wembanyama. Plus, the Oklahoma City Thunder, Los Angeles Lakers, Houston Rockets, and Minnesota Timberwolves pose threats in the Western Conference.

DeRozan’s final attempts to compete for a championship present great challenges; meanwhile, the Heat still went all-in and are among the early favorites to win the Eastern Conference and carve out a deep playoff run.

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