NBA Rumors: 6-Time All-Star 'Explored' Joining 76ers in Free Agency

Reports emerge that DeMar DeRozan was exploring possible signing with 76ers.

Mar 22, 2023; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Bulls forward DeMar DeRozan (11) defends Philadelphia 76ers guard Tyrese Maxey (0) during the second half at United Center. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images / David Banks-Imagn Images

Heading into this past summer, addressing forward depth was a top priority for the Philadelphia 76ers. They managed to do so by signing Paul George, but it appears another All-Star-level player was also eyeing the Eastern Conference contender.

In a recent column for The Athletic, Sam Amick and Anthony Slater did a full breakdown of the Sacramento Kings heading into the 2024-25 season. As expected, among the things they touched on was them acquiring DeMar DeRozan is a sign-and-trade with the Chicago Bulls.

While breaking down DeRozan's free agency, the two cited that the Sixers were a team DeRozan was eyeing as sought out a new deal.

DeRozan, who league sources say explored scenarios with the Philadelphia 76ers, Miami Heat, San Antonio Spurs and Warriors in search of a market value deal, had grown more fond of the Sacramento idea as time went on. His longtime agent, Aaron Goodwin, flew with him from his hometown in Los Angeles to Sacramento, then drove him around the city and suburbs to give him a sense of what the area had to offer.

This is not the first time that DeRozan has been linked to the Sixers this summer. When he was a guest on George's podcast, he himself brought up that Philly was among the team's on his radar. DeRozan also jokingly said that he had to wait for PG to make his decision in free agency before a market truly started to emerge for him.

Kings landed DeMar with a little help from The Beam 🔦 pic.twitter.com/v0Qj0lrueL

— Podcast P with Paul George (@PodcastPShow) September 9, 2024

Despite being in his mid-30s DeRozan is still a highly impactful player at the NBA level. Last season with the Bulls, he averaged 24.0 PPG, 4.3 RPG, and 5.3 APG.

This potential move really can't be seen as a "what if" seeing as the Sixers got a player just as talented who fits better with the roster. That said, it seems like DeRozan could have possible been a consolation prize for Philly if they weren't able to secure PG.