Report: DeRozan to opt out, Nets eyeing Raptors guard in free agency

DeMar DeRozan put in a well-rounded effort in the Toronto Raptors' win against the Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday, and it may have served to put him higher on the New York club's offseason wishlist.

The Raptors shooting guard has a $10-million player option for next season but is reportedly planning to opt out, according to the New York Post's Brian Lewis.

Should DeRozan elect free agency (which would not be surprising considering his option is well below what a potential max deal can bring him) Brooklyn is expected to make him one of its primary targets, according to Lewis.

"I can tell you he'll opt out. But how he feels about Brooklyn - or anybody else - I can't say. Only he can answer that," a source close to DeRozan told Lewis.

However, Raptors fans afraid of losing the star shooting guard can take some solace in DeRozan's apparent appreciation of how well the team has treated him since drafting him in 2009. The source said DeRozan "has a trait that's been lost by so many players. It's called loyalty."

Brooklyn's pursuit of the former All-Star will be aided by Joe Johnson's monstrous contract coming off the books this summer, freeing nearly $25 million in cap space for the Nets - a number that falls nearly perfectly in line with the max contract DeRozan was reported in June to be seeking.

DeRozan finished Wednesday's game against the Nets with a balanced 15 points, five assists, four rebounds, and two steals.

The USC product is averaging 22.6 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 4.2 assists for the Raptors in 36.5 minutes played this season. His 261 made free throws rank second in the league only to Houston Rockets guard James Harden (323).