DENVER — DeMar DeRozan has agreed to sign a one-year contract with the Denver Nuggets worth the veteran minimum of $3.9 million, a person with knowledge of the deal said Friday.
It will be DeRozan’s fifth team in his 18th season as the six-time All-Star seeks his first championship. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the agreement hasn’t been announced.
The addition of DeRozan gives the Nuggets a veteran backcourt presence after sending young, versatile wing Peyton Watson to the Cleveland Cavaliers as part of a four-team trade. The 23-year-old Watson started a career-high 40 games last season and averaged career bests in points (14.6), rebounds (4.9) and assists (2.1).
DeRozan, the ninth pick in the 2009 draft, spent his first nine seasons with the Toronto Raptors, only to get traded to the San Antonio Spurs for Kawhi Leonard as his former team won the title in Leonard’s only season in Toronto in 2018-19.
The 37-year-old DeRozan spent three seasons with the Spurs and three with the Chicago Bulls before joining the Sacramento Kings the last two seasons. He was part of sign-and-trade deals in the moves to the Bulls and Kings.
DeRozan averaged 18.4 points last season, ending a 12-year run of averaging at least 20. He has had just two winning seasons since going to the playoffs his last five years with the Raptors. DeRozan made the playoffs once with the Bulls.