Small forward DeMar DeRozan has exercised his player option for the upcoming season and will remain with the San Antonio Spurs, the team announced.
“I’m back San Antonio!” DeRozan said in a tweet sent by the team. “Looking forward to training camp and building on the high level of play we showed in Orlando.”
DeMar has exercised his player option and is hyped for the 2020-21 season 💯#GoSpursGo pic.twitter.com/jD5O7xgTlc
— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) November 17, 2020
DeRozan, 31, continued his steady production last season, averaging 22.1 points, 5.5 rebounds and 5.5 assists in 34.1 minutes per game. His 53.1 shooting percentage from the field was a career high.
DeRozan’s consistency throughout his career has put him in rarefied air. He is just one of seven players in the NBA to average at least 20 points per game in each of the past seven seasons. The others are LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Anthony Davis, Russell Westbrook, Damian Lillard and James Harden.
Despite the NBA’s growing aversion to the midrange shot in recent years, DeRozan still utilizes the mostly discarded zone to great effect. He has averaged six points per game off midrange shots over the past five seasons, third most in the NBA behind teammate LaMarcus Aldridge and Carmelo Anthony.
DeRozan spent the first nine seasons of his career with the Toronto Raptors before being traded to the Spurs in the Kawhi Leonard deal ahead of the 2018-19 season. San Antonio’s record streak of 22 straight postseason appearances was snapped last season.
Drafted with the No. 9 overall pick in the 2009 draft, DeRozan is entering his 11th season in the NBA.
