The NBA offseason has been going wild as free agency has been getting teams looking like contenders and changing the landscape of the league. DeMar DeRozan was one of the most coveted free agents in this year’s free agency class and has officially made his decision.
ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski and Tim Bontemps are reporting that the Sacramento Kings will be acquiring DeRozan as part of a sign-and-trade. The deal is between the Kings, the Chicago Bulls and the San Antonio Spurs. The Kings acquire DeMar DeRozan, the Bulls gets two second-round picks, Chris Duarte and cash, and the Spurs acquire Harrison Barnes as well as a 2031 unprotected pick swap with Sacramento.
It is also reported that DeRozan will sign a three-year, $76 million contract with the Kings as a result of this move. This makes the Western Conference in particular a whole lot more interesting so let’s dive into how this improved the Sacramento Kings going forward.
What does the addition of DeMar DeRozan do for the Sacramento Kings going forward?
Fresh off his “Not Like Us” music video appearance, DeMar DeRozan joining the Sacramento Kings makes the team an instant contender. They have point guard De’Aaron Fox on the books for two more seasons and power forward Demontas Sabonis for another four years so they are trying to build a three-headed monster in Sacramento.
DeMar DeRozan has been one of the most underrated players with an unstoppable mid-range game throughout his career. The 2009 ninth-overall pick averaged 24.0 points, 4.3 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 1.1 steals with a 48.0/33.3/85.3 shooting split in 79 games for the Bulls last year.
This combination of Fox, DeRozan and Sabonis gives the Sacramento Kings a chance to be legitimate contenders in the Western Conference for the next few years. DeRozan can play as a third option as a veteran at 34 years old and can really help a winning team.
This Kings team was the ninth seed in the Western Conference last season and did not make the playoffs. With guards Devin Carter and Jamal Shead in the 2024 NBA draft as well, this team can have a lot of talent going forward and really compete with anyone in the West.
About the Author
Vincent Pensabene graduated from Saint Leo University in 2019 with a B.A. in Sport Business and has focused on the media side of sports. He writes for multiple publications and is interested in the reasoning of why things happen. Feel free to follow him on social media @TalkVinTalk and discuss all things sports.
