DeMar DeRozan Hitting Free Agency. Miami’s Interest Is Real.

The Kings are cutting DeMar DeRozan loose. And yeah, Miami is paying attention.

NBA insider Chris Haynes reported Monday that Sacramento is waiving the veteran guard, and while no formal contact has happened yet, the Heat are sitting firmly in the “interested” column. Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald put it directly on X: “Miami would be among teams of interest to DeRozan.”

This isn’t exactly a shock. DeRozan has been linked to the Heat for a while now, even before the Kings decided to move on. And with Miami’s blockbuster trade for Giannis Antetokounmpo now official, the front office is clearly looking to stack the roster around him.

What DeRozan brings at this stage

Last season in Sacramento, the 35-year-old averaged 21.1 points, 4.3 rebounds and 4.1 assists. He shot 47.1 percent from the floor, which is solid, but his three-point percentage (32 percent) is less inspiring. Still, the guy can create his own shot, get to the line and operate in the mid-range. That kind of scoring punch off the bench — or even as a secondary starter — is exactly what Miami needs in the backcourt.

The Heat’s offseason moves so far are Giannis, Bobby Portis, Tim Hardaway Jr. and a re-signing of Simone Fontecchio. That’s a decent start, but it’s not a finished roster. The gap is clearly a wing who can handle the ball and put points on the board.

Jackson also mentioned Miami is looking at Bradley Beal and Gary Trent as other options. But DeRozan feels like the most realistic target given the financial flexibility and the fact that he’s being waived rather than traded for assets.

The bigger picture for Miami

There’s also the LeBron question hanging over everything. The Heat have been mentioned as a potential landing spot for James if he leaves L.A., but that remains speculative. Jackson noted the tricky part is deciding whether to jump on a guy like DeRozan now or wait and see if a surprise name shakes free.

One thing that could complicate things: the Kings are reportedly expected to use the waiver-and-stretch provision on DeRozan, which means his cap hit would be smaller but spread out. That actually helps Miami, since they don’t have to match salary in a trade. They can just sign him outright.

Jackson also threw out an interesting detail about Dallas and Klay Thompson — the Mavericks don’t need to buy him out, obviously. And if Sacramento goes the stretch route on DeRozan, they might not do the same with Zach LaVine.

So the Heat have options. DeRozan is one of them. Maybe the most logical one. But with LeBron’s decision still up in the air, Miami might wait. Or they might pull the trigger now and figure out the rest later.