The NBA free agency moratorium has ended, and six-time All-Star DeMar DeRozan remains a free agent. He and the Chicago Bulls are prepared to part ways (just as they did with the San Antonio Spurs when their last contract expired). He doesn’t want to settle for the mid-level exception. A sign-and-trade is needed to make this happen (Just like the last time my contract expired).
DeRozan is a month shy of his 35th birthday, but he averaged 24 points per game on 58.4 percent shooting last season, and with very little cap space league-wide, he’s betting a team will find a way to acquire him and pay him more than $20 million per season.
Could the Sacramento Kings be that team? Judging by the amount of buzz surrounding Sacramento, it seems like the front office is up to something.
- On Wednesday, ESPN’s Marc Spears described the Kings as a “dark horse” to acquire DeRozan.
- ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski said in multiple television appearances Friday that Sacramento is the team to watch in the race to acquire DeRozan, adding that the Bulls would need to find a third team to facilitate a sign-and-trade because they don’t want to take on the payroll burden.
- Late Friday, Sean Cunningham of Fox 40 News reported that DeRozan and the Kings have mutual interest, while Kings beater James Ham reported that they are already forming a third team, adding that “there is competition to acquire DeRozan.”
- On Saturday, The Stein Line’s Marc Stein reported that the Spurs “had emerged as a third-team intermediary” in a sign-and-trade that would send DeRozan to Sacramento. ESPN 1320’s Damien Burling, Bleacher Report’s Chris Haynes and The Athletic’s Shams Charania later reported that DeRozan was traveling to Sacramento to meet with the Kings. Charania added that DeRozan “has begun one-on-one discussions with various team officials.”
- Also on Saturday, in a possibly related move, San Antonio sent Devonte Graham and a second-round pick to the Charlotte Hornets, who waived Graham, according to ESPN. The deal was purely about financial flexibility: $2.9 million of Graham’s $12.7 million salary in 2024-25 was guaranteed, so the Hornets essentially paid $2.9 million for the pick, but the Spurs gave that up to get the pick. all A portion of Graham’s salary was deducted from the books.
When a delegation representing the Philadelphia 76ers arrived at his house last weekend to meet with free agent Paul George, George was wearing an Allen Iverson shirt. Will DeRozan show up in Sacramento wearing a C-Web shirt? Peja? White chocolate? He grew up a Los Angeles Lakers fan, so that would be cool, but I wouldn’t bet.
Either way, DeRozan would add some firepower to an offense that was unstoppable in 2022-23 but fell to 13th in the draft last season. His usage rate will likely drop behind Domantas Sabonis and De’Aaron Fox, but that might not be such a bad thing, especially if he’s willing to take more catch-and-shoot 3-pointers.
If a deal is concluded, further analysis will take place.
