NBA Rumors: DeMar DeRozan will opt out if San Antonio Spurs can't agree to a contract extension

DeMar DeRozan is slated to become one of the top players available this summer if his current team, the San Antonio Spurs, are unable to come to a contract extension agreement. DeRozan has a player option for $27.7 million next season which he is willing to opt out of to become an unrestricted free agent in the upcoming offseason.

The upcoming free agency class is expected to be a relatively uneventful one.

On the TNT broadcast, Chris Haynes reports that if the Spurs and DeRozan can't come to an extension agreement, DeRozan intends to decline his player option and become an unrestricted free agent this summer.

— Paul Garcia (@PaulGarciaNBA) March 11, 2020

However, the 30-year-old Spurs forward downplayed the report later after the game-

“Who reported it? Did my Mama say it?," DeRozan said. "Don’t listen to it then.”

While DeMar is putting together solid numbers in 22.4 points, 5.6 rebounds and 5.6 assists per game while shooting over 52% from the field this season, the San Antonio Spurs are enroute to missing the postseason for the first time in over 20 years.

Despite him being the team's leading scorer, the Spurs have been better when DeRozan sits (1.0 net rating) than when he plays (minus-2.9 net rating). Moreover, his glaring inability to make threes in this changing atmosphere is something that needs to be rectified.

DeRozan becoming a free agent might not entirely hurt San Antonio, instead they can see this as an opportunity to rebuild from scratch.