After failing to keep Peyton Watson, the Denver Nuggets have added veteran guard and former Chicago Bulls star DeMar DeRozan. The 36-year-old will bring a valuable skill set to the Mile High City, but as Bulls fans can attest to, that skill set has its limits.
The Nuggets signed DeRozan to a one-year, $3.9 million deal, according to ESPN's Shams Charania. The 36-year-old will fill an important role alongside Nikola Jokic after Denver was, for all intents and purposes, forced to move on from Watson.
DeRozan will help the Nuggets push for another championship, but his style of play can only take a team so far, as those in the Windy City already know.
Bulls fans know DeMar DeRozan's strengths — and his weaknesses
DeRozan had an excellent run in Chicago. He played 229 games across three seasons and averaged 25.5 points, 4.7 rebounds and 5.1 assists while shooting 49.6 percent from the field. He made two all-star teams and was named Second Team All-NBA in 2021-22.
But his flaws have always stood out, regardless of where he's been.
The Compton native is one of the most efficient mid-range scorers of his era. He's a 49.1 percent shooter from 2-point range for his career. He's made nearly 46 percent of his shots from 10 to 16 feet and 41 percent between 16 feet and the 3-point line.
But past that is where DeRozan has been slow and stubborn to evolve.
The ninth pick in the 2009 draft is a career 30.2 percent shooter from beyond the arc. Perhaps even more detrimental is his refusal to even attempt those shots — he's only averaged more than two 3-point attempts per game in four of his 17 seasons, and more than three attempts per game only twice.
As he approaches what could be his final NBA season, it's unlikely he suddenly begins hoisting threes. The whole "you can't teach an old dog new tricks" thing and all that. He's never been a great defender, either, and his best work comes as an isolation scorer, which doesn't work as well in 2026 as it did in 2010.
Jokic will find a way to bring the best out of a 36-year-old DeRozan. And most Bulls fans will be rooting for him to win a title. But they also understand the drawbacks that come with his game.
Unfortunately, Nuggets fans are about to discover them too.
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