DeMar Darnell DeRozan (born August 7, 1989) is an American professional basketball player for the Denver Nuggets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the USC Trojans and was selected ninth overall by the Toronto Raptors in the 2009 NBA draft. Nicknamed "Deebo", DeRozan is a six-time NBA All-Star and a three-time All-NBA Team member. DeRozan is currently fourth among active NBA players on the all-time scoring list.
DeRozan spent nine seasons with the Raptors, where he became the franchise's all-time leading scorer and led the team to five playoff runs. He was traded to the San Antonio Spurs in the summer of 2018 and the Chicago Bulls in 2021. He was traded to the Sacramento Kings in the summer of 2024. DeRozan won a gold medal with the United States national team in the 2014 World Cup and the 2016 Summer Olympics.
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Early life
DeRozan was born on August 7, 1989 in Compton, California to Frank and Diane DeRozan. Frank died in 2021.
High school career
DeRozan attended Compton High School and was ranked as one of the top college recruits in the nation from the class of 2008. He was ranked No. 3 in the nation by Rivals.com and No. 6 by Scout.com. He played on the varsity basketball team for all four years of high school. As a freshman, he averaged 26.1 points and 8.4 rebounds. During his sophomore year, he averaged 22.6 points and 8.4 rebounds, while as a junior he averaged 22.3 points, 7.8 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and 3.2 steals.
As a senior averaging 29.2 points and 7.9 rebounds per game, DeRozan led Compton High School to a 26–6 record, a second consecutive Moore League championship and the CIF Division IAA Southern Section quarter-finals. For his efforts he was awarded the Moore League Most Valuable Player Award and named to the California All-State team. DeRozan was a member of the 2008 McDonald's All-American Team, and also won the 2008 McDonald's All-American Slam Dunk Competition. He was also invited to play in the 2008 Jordan Brand Classic at Madison Square Garden and the Nike Hoop Summit, where he scored a team-high 17 points. DeRozan's achievements on the court in his senior year saw him earn first-team Parade All-American honors and First Team Best in the West honors.
College career
In November 2007, DeRozan signed a letter of intent to play basketball at USC. He chose USC over Arizona and North Carolina.
In his first game for the Trojans, DeRozan scored a team-high 21 points with seven rebounds in an exhibition game against Azusa Pacific, an 85–64 victory at the Galen Center. DeRozan had 14 points in his first career regular season game in a win over UC Irvine. He scored 21 points along with a career-high 13 rebounds against UCLA in the Pac-10 Tournament semifinals, before scoring a career-high 22 points on 10-for-16 shooting to lead his team to a 61-49 win over Arizona State in the Pac-10 Tournament final. His efforts in the tournament saw him earn First Team Pac-10 All-Freshman honors in addition to being named Pac-10 Tournament MVP. The Trojans went to the 2009 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament as a 10th seed, where they lost in the 2nd round to Michigan State.
DeRozan started all 35 season games for the Trojans, scoring in double figures 28 times and posting four double-doubles. He ranked third on team in points (13.9 ppg), second in rebounds (5.7 rpg), third in assists (1.5 apg), and second in field-goal percentage (.523, eighth-best in conference). DeRozan followed his regular-season efforts by averaging 19.8 points in USC's five postseason games. His 485 points ranks third all-time and his 201 rebounds is fourth all-time for a USC freshman.
Professional career
Toronto Raptors (2009–2018)
On April 8, 2009, DeRozan announced his decision to enter the 2009 NBA draft and forgo his final three years of eligibility at USC. On June 25, 2009, he was selected ninth overall by the Toronto Raptors in the 2009 draft. He stated that part of the reason he left for the NBA after only one year at USC was to help take better care of his mother, who has lupus.
On July 9, 2009, DeRozan signed his rookie scale contract with the Raptors. As the fourth contestant in the 2010 Sprite Slam Dunk Competition, DeRozan lost in the final round against three-time champion Nate Robinson. The final percentage was 51% to 49%. DeRozan was selected to compete for the 2011 Sprite Slam Dunk Competition as a replacement for injured guard Brandon Jennings. He finished in third place.
On December 31, 2010, DeRozan scored a then career-high 37 points against the Houston Rockets. He matched that career high two more times over the next three years—against the Utah Jazz on November 12, 2012, and against the Chicago Bulls on November 15, 2013.
On January 22, 2014, DeRozan scored a then career-high 40 points against the Dallas Mavericks, shooting 15-of-22 from the field. On January 30, DeRozan was selected for the 2014 NBA All-Star Game as a reserve guard for the Eastern Conference All-Star team. He finished the game with 8 points, 3 rebounds, and 2 assists in 15 minutes. On February 1, he recorded a 36 points and a career-high 12 assists in a loss to the Portland Trail Blazers. On March 28, he led the Raptors to a playoff berth for the first time since 2008, with a victory over the Boston Celtics. He scored 30 points in the win, along with 3 rebounds, 4 assists, and 1 steal. On April 13, he scored 30 points against the Detroit Pistons to lead the Raptors to tie a franchise record of 47 wins.
DeRozan's 2013–14 season was a breakout year, averaging career-highs of 22.7 points, 4.3 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 30% from beyond the arc, and finished fourth in total free-throws made and seventh in attempts. He led the Raptors to a 48–34 record and a third-seed finish in the Eastern Conference.
In DeRozan's first playoff game against the Brooklyn Nets on April 19, 2014, DeRozan scored 14 points on a 3-of-13 shooting as the game resulted in a loss. In Game 2, DeRozan bounced back and scored 30 points on 9-of-21 shooting in a 100–95 win. On April 25, he recorded 30 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists in a loss. That 30-point game made DeRozan the first Raptor to score 30 points in back-to-back playoffs games, and the first Raptor to score 30 in multiple playoff games since Vince Carter. The Raptors went on to lose to the Nets in seven games.
San Antonio Spurs (2018–2021)
On July 18, 2018, DeRozan was traded, along with Jakob Poeltl and a protected 2019 first round draft pick, to the San Antonio Spurs in exchange for Kawhi Leonard and Danny Green. The trade was controversial because DeRozan was a fan favorite in Toronto and had not been consulted about the trade by Raptors president Masai Ujiri beforehand; however, there was a perception that DeRozan was not a strong playoff performer, and trading away DeRozan's large contract freed up significant salary cap space.
In his debut for the Spurs in their season opener on October 17, 2018, DeRozan had 28 points in a 112–108 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves. On October 22, he had 32 points and 14 assists in a 143–142 overtime win over the Los Angeles Lakers. On October 29, he had 34 points and nine assists in a 113–108 overtime win over the Dallas Mavericks. On November 3, he scored 26 points in a 109–95 win over the New Orleans Pelicans, thus scoring at least 25 points in seven of the team's first eight games. The only other San Antonio player to do so was George Gervin in 1978–79. On December 2, he had a season-high 36 points in a 131–118 win over the Portland Trail Blazers. On December 7, he recorded 36 points and nine assists in a 133–120 win over the Lakers. On January 3, he recorded his first career triple-double with 21 points, 14 rebounds and 11 assists in a 125–107 win over his former team, the Toronto Raptors. DeRozan also recorded his first double-double in a half. On February 22, he played his first game in Toronto in a Spurs uniform. He finished the game with 23 points, 4 rebounds and 8 assists.
On April 16, 2019, during Game 2 of the first round of the playoffs, DeRozan scored 31 points in a 105–114 loss to the Denver Nuggets. The Spurs would go on to lose the series in seven games. His old team the Raptors would go on to win the 2019 NBA Finals.
On January 29, 2020, DeRozan scored a season-high 38 points, alongside five assists, in a 127–120 win over the Utah Jazz. On March 10, he logged a season-high 12 assists, along with 13 points, in a 119–109 win over the Dallas Mavericks. After the NBA season was suspended in March due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Spurs were one of 22 teams invited to the NBA Bubble. However, after finishing with a record of 32–39, the team failed to qualify for the playoffs, marking the first time since 2013 that DeRozan's team did not reach the postseason.
Chicago Bulls (2021–2024)
On August 11, 2021, DeRozan signed with the Chicago Bulls on a three-year, $85 million contract in a sign-and-trade deal; the Bulls sent Thaddeus Young, Al-Farouq Aminu, a protected first-round draft pick, and two second-round draft picks to the Spurs in exchange. As his usual number 10 was retired by the Bulls in honor of Bob Love, DeRozan switched to wear number 11.
On October 20, DeRozan made his Bulls debut, putting up 17 points, seven rebounds, two assists, and three steals in a 94–88 win over the Detroit Pistons. On November 1, he scored a then season-high 37 points on 15-of-20 shooting, along with 7 rebounds, to lead the Bulls to a 128–114 comeback victory over the Boston Celtics, overcoming a 19-point deficit on the road. He would match those 37 points two days later, while grabbing 10 rebounds, in a 103–98 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers. On December 31, DeRozan hit a game-winning one-legged three at the buzzer to award the Bulls a 108–106 road victory over the Indiana Pacers, on a night where he recorded 28 points and six assists.
On January 1, 2022, DeRozan had 28 points, and made yet another game-winning three-pointer at the buzzer, giving Chicago a 120–119 road victory over the Washington Wizards, and becoming the first player in NBA history with a game-winning buzzer beater on consecutive days. On January 23, DeRozan scored a then season-high 41 points on 15-of-21 shooting from the field in a 114–95 loss to the Orlando Magic. On January 27, DeRozan was selected to his 5th NBA All-Star Game, his third start and his first All-Star Selection since 2018 where he started in his hometown for the 2018 NBA All-Star Game. On February 6, DeRozan scored a then season-high 45 points, along with 9 rebounds and 7 assists, in a 119–108 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers. On February 14, DeRozan scored 19 of his 40 points in the fourth quarter and delivered 7 assists in a 120–109 win over his former team, the San Antonio Spurs. This was his sixth straight 35-point game, breaking Michael Jordan's franchise record of five straight 35-point games; he also tied Wilt Chamberlain's record of the longest consecutive streaks of such games while shooting at least 50 percent (DeRozan shot 50, 59.3, 60, 63.6, 66.7, and 68.4 percent). On February 16, in a 125–118 victory over the Sacramento Kings, DeRozan broke the record by scoring 38 points, with 6 rebounds and 6 assists, to become the first player in NBA history to score 35 or more points and shoot 50 percent or better in seven consecutive games. By the end of February, the Bulls were in contention for the best record in the East and DeRozan was considered a MVP frontrunner.
Sacramento Kings (2024–2026)
On July 8, 2024, DeRozan signed with the Sacramento Kings on a three-year, $74 million contract in a sign-and-trade deal that also involved one of his former teams, the San Antonio Spurs, with Chris Duarte, RaiQuan Gray and draft considerations to going to Chicago and Harrison Barnes to San Antonio.
On February 10, 2025, DeRozan scored a season-high 42 points, including a baseline floater with 2 seconds left in overtime to lead the Kings to a 129–128 win over the Dallas Mavericks. On March 20, DeRozan scored 22 points in a 128–116 loss to the Chicago Bulls, becoming the 27th player to achieve 25,000 career points. On April 11, DeRozan moved past Reggie Miller into 25th place on the NBA All-Time Scoring List. DeRozan finished the season averaging 22.2 points per game and in the process became just the sixth player in NBA history (Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Karl Malone, Kobe Bryant, Dirk Nowitzki, LeBron James) to average 20+ points per game in 12 or more straight seasons (minimum 60 games played per season).
On January 14, 2026, DeRozan recorded 27 points, six rebounds and five assists in a 112–101 win over the New York Knicks. He passed Kevin Garnett to move into 22nd place on the NBA’s all-time scoring list. On February 26, DeRozan moved into 20th place on the NBA’s all-time scoring list, surpassing John Havlicek and Paul Pierce during a 130–121 win over the Dallas Mavericks. On March 15, DeRozan scored a season-high 41 points and recorded 11 assists to lead the Kings to a 116–111 victory over the Utah Jazz. With the performance, he became the oldest player in NBA history to record a 40-point, 10-assist game. On April 5, DeRozan moved into 16th place on the NBA’s all-time scoring list, surpassing Oscar Robertson during a 138–109 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers.
On July 6, 2026, DeRozan was waived by the Kings.
Denver Nuggets (2026–present)
On September 8, 2026, DeRozan signed a one year $3.9 million deal with the Denver Nuggets.
Career statistics
NBA career records
Toronto Raptors franchise records
Most games played (675)
Most minutes played (22,986)
Most points scored (13,296)
Most field goals (4716)
Most 2-point field goals (4391)
Most free throws made (3539)
Awards and honors
High school and college
2006 All-Moore League First Team
2007 All-Moore League First Team
2007 Named to the Los Angeles Times First Team
2008 Parade Magazine All-America First Team
2008 Long Beach Press-Telegram's Best in the West First Team
2008 McDonald's High School All-American
2008 Jordan Brand All-American Classic
2008 Southern California Interscholastic Basketball Coaches Association I-AA Player of the Year (tied with two others)
2008 All-State Team
2009 Pac-10 Tournament Champion
2009 Named Most Outstanding Player in Pac-10 Tournament
No. 10 retired by USC Trojans
NBA achievements
All-NBA Second Team: 2018, 2022
All-NBA Third Team: 2017
NBA All-Star: 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2022, 2023
NBA All-Star Rising Star: 2011
NBA minutes played leaders: (2024)
Magic Johnson Award: 2018
NBA Eastern Conference Player of the Month: April 2015, January 2016, January 2018, February 2022
NBA Eastern Conference Player of the Week: December 7–13, 2015; November 7–13, 2016; December 12–18, 2016; January 9–15, 2017; March 20–26, 2017; November 13–19, 2017; December 18–24, 2017; January 1–7, 2018; February 26 – March 4, 2018; November 29 - December 5, 2021; December 27, 2021 - January 2, 2022; February 7–13, 2022; March 4–10, 2024
NBA Western Conference Player of the Week: January 6–12, 2020
National team career
DeRozan was a member of the United States national team that won the gold medal in the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup. In nine games, he averaged 4.8 points, 1.0 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game. He made a second appearance for Team USA at the 2016 Summer Olympics. DeRozan averaged 6.6 points, 1.4 rebounds and 0.9 assists in seven games for Team USA in helping them win the Olympic gold medal.
Personal life
DeRozan is the son of Frank and Diane DeRozan. DeRozan's mother was diagnosed with lupus when he was a small child. While with the Raptors, DeRozan helped raise awareness and educate Canadians on the disease in part by partnering with Lupus Canada. DeRozan lost his father Frank DeRozan on February 19, 2021 after battling several longtime health issues. He said he would regularly fly to Los Angeles from San Antonio or any city he was playing in to be by his side throughout his last moments.
DeRozan has a daughter born in 2013 named Diar, who gained national attention in 2023 after consistently shrieking during free throws in the Bulls' play-in tournament game against the Toronto Raptors. The Raptors shot just 18-of-36 from the free throw line, with many calling Diar an integral piece of the Bulls' 109–105 victory. After the game, Raptors forward Scottie Barnes admitted that the screaming had an impact on Toronto's free throw shooting. Diar later received several online threats.
DeRozan has openly struggled with depression, and is an advocate for others suffering with it. After DeRozan and fellow NBA player Kevin Love spoke publicly on mental health it prompted the NBA to add a new rule that requires a team to have at least one full time licensed mental health professional on their staff. The duo also appeared in a PSA video by the NBA that launched the new mental health professional program alongside a new website with various mental health resources. In 2024, DeRozan's book, Above the Noise: My Story of Chasing Calm, was published by Harmony Books. The book describes his experiences with depression, growth, and the slow process of healing.
DeRozan is nicknamed "Deebo" after the character from the 1995 film Friday. He received the name as a sixth grader when he beat up an eighth grader during a basketball game at school. DeRozan has reflected on the awareness of his neighborhood nickname: "When people call me that, you have to know me from back home, so when it started carrying over to the NBA, I was just like I don't know how it got to the league."
DeRozan was mentioned in "Not Like Us", a diss track by the American rapper and fellow Compton native Kendrick Lamar, amidst his highly publicized feud with the Canadian rapper Drake in May 2024. He was invited on stage during the 2024 The Pop Out: Ken & Friends concert held on Juneteenth, where Lamar first performed "Not Like Us" live, along with fellow NBA player and Los Angeles area native Russell Westbrook. DeRozan additionally had a cameo in the music video of "Not Like Us", which was symbolically released on July 4, 2024. It won the 67th Grammy Award for Best Music Video.