Should Danny Ainge offer Demar Derozan a max contract this offseason? Will he?

[chambers]

Derozan has been beasting this month, and it appears that he may have taken the next step in his game.

At age 26, he's only one year older than Avery Bradley....
23 ppg, 4.5 rebounds, 4 assists on 44.5% shooting per game. (Averages 36.6 minutes per game)
Just turned 26 years old.
Likely player of the Month in the east in December averaging 25/5/4 on 57% TS and the Raptors are 9-6.
Weakness is his three point shooting. Shot 28% last year and is shooting a poultry 25% this year
Has a player option and will be an unrestricted free agent in all likelyhood.

Toronto are good, but they haven't got much room for growth with their current cap situation and aren't the most appealing free agent destination either- his agent should be trying to get him to a better situation and bigger market.

Ainge has been waiting for a guy like this. And by that I mean he's been waiting for a top 20 player who can be 'the man' on this young team, and also be the 2nd/3rd option on a true contender, that isn't about to enter his thirties.
He would be 'the man' on our team until we get another player of his caliber or better.

But there are some obvious questions with DeMar: Although he's a top 20 player/All Star...
-can he become a top 10 player (can he improve even more at age 26?)
-does his lack of three point shooting just make him an overpaid Evan Turner?
  (he's better than Turner but will need shooters around him)
-should we just acquire the talent and worry about his 3 point shooting later or continue waiting for another top 20 player to make a run at?

Should we offer DeMar Derozan a max contract this offseason?

[PhoSita]

Derozan would be like a higher usage,  more talented version of Evan Turner. He's a skilled scorer but he doesn't fit this offense and his lack of outside shooting would be annoying.

[Irish Stew]

Good player but not the right fit for us with that weak 3 point shooting which is the real deal breaker for me.

[Celtics4ever]

Good player but not the right fit for us with that weak 3 point shooting which is the real deal breaker for me

.

DeMarr has played against well over the years.   But I agree he does not spread the floor and is a poor fit for CBS system.

[ssspence]

Derozan would be like a higher usage,  more talented version of Evan Turner. He's a skilled scorer but he doesn't fit this offense and his lack of outside shooting would be annoying.

Homer post.

[oldtype]

I just dont know how successful you can be in 2016 with a guard who can't shoot the three at all.

[kozlodoev]

Good player but not the right fit for us with that weak 3 point shooting which is the real deal breaker for me

.

DeMarr has played against well over the years.   But I agree he does not spread the floor and is a poor fit for CBS system.

Marcus Smart doesn't spread the floor and is a poor fit, too.

[chambers]

I'm not 100% sold on DeRozan, but watching him this season he's been a deserved All Star.

You can look at him and say 'doesn't fit CBS system because he can't shoot', but Evan Turner is thriving- and it's not just because he's a point forward- it's because of our spacing.

Or you can look at him and say that he's a top 20 NBA player and just 26 years old, who is clearly capable of being a 2nd or 3rd option on an NBA championship team.
If we bring the talent to Boston, Brad will make it work.
If Dwayne Casey can make him an All Star, Brad can do even more.

With the ballooning cap, and DeRozan's significant, consistent improvement over the past 3 years, I wouldn't be upset if we did go after him.

[mctyson]

Derozan would be like a higher usage,  more talented version of Evan Turner. He's a skilled scorer but he doesn't fit this offense and his lack of outside shooting would be annoying.

Yeah agree with this, and also not sure how he fits a team need with Thomas, Bradley, Smart, Crowder etc all positioning for starting roles.  He would really be a replacement for Bradley and that's just not something we need on a max contract.

[kozlodoev]

Derozan would be like a higher usage,  more talented version of Evan Turner. He's a skilled scorer but he doesn't fit this offense and his lack of outside shooting would be annoying.

Yeah agree with this, and also not sure how he fits a team need with Thomas, Bradley, Smart, Crowder etc all positioning for starting roles.  He would really be a replacement for Bradley and that's just not something we need on a max contract.

I guess we don't really need LeBron James either, because we have Crowder, and James doesn't fit Brad S's system.

[otherdave]

If we are offering a max contract to a SG I think N Batum is a much better fit.  Better defense and better 3 point shot than Demar.

[chambers]

Derozan would be like a higher usage,  more talented version of Evan Turner. He's a skilled scorer but he doesn't fit this offense and his lack of outside shooting would be annoying.

Yeah agree with this, and also not sure how he fits a team need with Thomas, Bradley, Smart, Crowder etc all positioning for starting roles.  He would really be a replacement for Bradley and that's just not something we need on a max contract.

I understand the logic and what you're saying, but Derozan is a better player than anyone on our team.
IT, Bradley and Smart can all come off the bench.
Derozan is a top 20 NBA player and he's improving.
If we are prepared to throw $15 million x 4 years at Tobias Harris and Khris Middleton,  then we should be prepared to throw $20 million at Derozan who is a better player than both.

Again, I'm not saying we must do everything we can to get him, but we don't get many opportunities at signing top 20 players entering their prime...Ainge wants a go to scorer and that's what Derozan is.
One could argue that with our role players like Bradley and Crowder on cheap contracts, we can afford to spend an extra $4 or $5 million on a guy like Derozan.

Just trying to make sure that all pros/cons are laid on the table when considering free agents.

[chambers]

If we are offering a max contract to a SG I think N Batum is a much better fit.  Better defense and better 3 point shot than Demar.

Batum is a horrid defender and a turnover machine. Derozan is a far superior basketball player.

[BudweiserCeltic]

Derozan would be like a higher usage,  more talented version of Evan Turner. He's a skilled scorer but he doesn't fit this offense and his lack of outside shooting would be annoying.

Yeah agree with this, and also not sure how he fits a team need with Thomas, Bradley, Smart, Crowder etc all positioning for starting roles.  He would really be a replacement for Bradley and that's just not something we need on a max contract.

I guess we don't really need LeBron James either, because we have Crowder, and James doesn't fit Brad S's system.

The myth of Stevens' system and those who fit in it...

[droopdog7]

I'm not giving a max contract to a non max player.  Recipe for disaster.