After leaving the Sacramento Kings, DeMar DeRozan had interest from various teams. It seems he has settled on the Nuggets, though they are their own special type of mess. Denver has the best player of the 2020s on their roster, but their terrible payroll has left them with no options.
The only player who has had a more underwhelming run with the Kings than DeRozan in recent years is Zach LaVine. Considering how little this duo accomplished in Chicago, reuniting them in Sacramento seemed like a bad idea from day one. Then again, the Kings' problems run far deeper.
DeRozan is the first of the two to move on. The Kings chose to waive him early in the offseason, making him an unrestricted free agent. They will stretch his remaining contract out, which will hopefully let them sign a couple of veterans who fit the roster better than DeRozan did.
Not surprisingly, he garnered significant interest from a number of teams almost immediately. The problem was that bigger names like LeBron James being on the move kept them from pulling the trigger on DeRozan. In the end, it was Denver who took the leap and signed him to a one-year deal.
The Nuggets may be in worse shape than the Kings
While joining a championship franchise led by Nikola Jokic seems like a step up, this is a team with its own massive issues. They have the second most expensive payroll in the league, meaning they can make next to no moves. The Nuggets are basically stuck with the roster they have.
After winning the title in 2023, Denver's front office started handing out massive contracts to 'key' players like it was candy on Halloween. Since then, the Nuggets have struggled in the playoffs, largely due to injuries, inconsistent play, and the improvement of other teams in their conference.
Jokic is so good that he manages to drag what is basically a below-average squad into the postseason every year. The problem is that their slate of massive contracts makes any and all moves to improve the roster around Jokic borderline impossible. DeRozan's no closer to a title in Denver.
The irony is that the Kings have more of a chance to improve than the Nuggets after DeRozan's departure. Sacramento has a roster of young players with high ceilings. Plus, one of their worst contracts will run out by the end of this season, opening the door for even more growth.
Add us as a preferred source on Google