San Antonio Spurs star DeMar DeRozan has emerged as one of the biggest names in this summer's free agency class. Rumors of his impending departure from the Spurs became even more prominent after the Compton, California native recently expressed his willingness to play in his hometown of Los Angeles. Unsurprisingly, it isn't only the Lakers who are in the race to sign DeRozan.
The Lakers' bitter cross-town rivals, the LA Clippers, are reportedly also in the running in the DeRozan bidding war. The same goes for the New York Knicks, the Chicago Bulls, and his current team, the Spurs, making it a five-horse race. This is according to NBA insider Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated:
As Spears noted above, the fact that DeRozan is heavily involved in the community down in Compton and this coupled with the fact that his family still resides in LA, could very well serve as the primary motivating factors for DeMar to take his talents to Los Angeles. Then again, it appears that the Spurs still want him back for next season, so they shouldn't be counted out. The glamor of playing in New York or even in Chicago also positions both the Knicks and the Bulls as potential dark horses to land DeRozan.
For what it's worth, DeMar DeRozan pocketed $27.7 million with the Spurs last season. He could be looking to earn a similar amount this coming campaign or perhaps even more considering how this current free agency class lacks the talent pool of its recent predecessors.