The Boston Celtics have once more surfaced as the premier landing spot for available free agent DeMar DeRozan, with recent roster adjustments turning national attention toward the decorated veteran. According to Bleacher Report national writer Dan Favale, the Celtics top a three-team board for the 35-year-old scorer, placing Boston ahead of both the Miami Heat and the Utah Jazz.
This renewed connection to the franchise stems directly from Boston’s offseason reshuffling, most notably the high-profile trade of five-time All-Star Jaylen Brown. That early July transaction shipped Boston’s second-leading scorer to the Philadelphia 76ers in exchange for Paul George, alongside a pair of first-round picks and two second-round selections, as detailed by The Athletic. With Brown’s dynamic offensive output now in Philadelphia, analysts are examining how the Celtics plan to replicate that level of shot creation and table-setting.
Evaluating the Fit and Roster Needs in Boston
DeRozan enters the picture following a stint with the Sacramento Kings, where he averaged 18.4 points and 4.3 assists per game across 77 appearances during the 2024-25 season, while converting 52.7 percent of his two-point attempts. Despite his offensive production and a career scoring average of 21.1 points across 1,264 games, according to Basketball-Reference data, his playing style presents an intriguing tactical puzzle for Boston head coach Joe Mazzulla.
DeRozan largely operates inside the arc and does not frequently shoot from distance, placing him somewhat at odds with a modern offensive philosophy that heavily emphasizes 3-point volume. However, as Favale noted, the Celtics possess enough floor spacing to help compensate for DeRozan’s finite range. Furthermore, podcast hosts Nekias Duncan and Steve Jones Jr. suggested on Yahoo Sports’ “The Dunker Spot” that pairing DeRozan alongside Jayson Tatum and Paul George could effectively resolve Boston’s current possession-creation shortage while serving as a reliable hedge against George’s durability concerns.
Financial Hurdles and Contract Realities
Securing the veteran forward involves navigating a tight salary cap environment. DeRozan originally arrived in Sacramento on a three-year contract valued at approximately $73.9 million via a sign-and-trade with the Chicago Bulls in 2024. After finding no trade market, the Kings cut him loose on July 6, according to NBC Sports.
Spotrac payroll figures indicate that Boston’s tax payroll hovers near $198.7 million against a projected $200.4 million threshold, leaving roughly $1.7 million in breathing room. Adding DeRozan at a veteran minimum—which carries a reduced cap hit of $2,449,421 for a player with his seventeen years of service, with the league covering the difference as outlined by Hoops Rumors—would push the franchise back over the tax line. Front-office executives are presently aiming to reset the repeater tax clock, meaning any such addition would likely require a corresponding minor trade ahead of the trade deadline to duck back beneath the threshold.
As the remainder of the NBA free agency landscape settles following the movement of marquee names like LeBron James, front offices around the league are expected to finalize their remaining roster decisions. Whether Boston pursues a deal for the Compton native will depend heavily on the franchise’s financial strategy moving forward into the 2026-27 campaign.
