On Tuesday, NBA insider Jake Fischer reported that the Sacramento Kings are "expected to gauge the trade market" (subscription required) for DeMar DeRozan this summer. They acquired the veteran wing last July in a three-team sign-and-trade deal.
Sacramento thought adding the six-time All-Star to its roster would help boost the team's odds of making the deep playoff run that fans crave. It might've sounded good in theory, but DeRozan didn't impact winning the way the Kings wanted him to. The trade turned out to be more of a non-factor, so much so that Sacramento would've been better off keeping Harrison Barnes than signing DeRozan to a three-year, $73.9 million contract.
The Kings have made a few moves since being eliminated by the Mavericks in the Play-In Tournament. Sacramento and Monte McNair (who orchestrated the DeRozan sign-and-trade) agreed to part ways, which led to the organization hiring Scott Perry as the next GM hours later. They also removed the interim tag from Doug Christie after he took over for Mike Brown in December.
Re-tooling the roster will be one of the things that Perry does in his first offseason with Sacramento in his new role. One of his first moves could involve DeRozan.
Kings expected to gauge DeRozan's trade value this summer
DeRozan averaged 22.2 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 4.4 assists per game for the Kings, shooting 47.7% from the field and 32.8% from three. He played at least 74 games, coming in at 77, for the fourth straight season. Those numbers (and his availability) are solid for a 35-year-old (he'll turn 36 before the start of next season).
It's not like DeRozan is washed up, but he's not the right fit in Sacramento. He still has value, but the question is which opposing teams will show interest, and what will they be willing to offer? DeRozan will make $24.8 million in 2025-26 and has a partially guaranteed salary in 2026-27 ($10 million of $25.8 million) before becoming a free agent the following offseason.
The Kings won't dominate headlines this summer, as that title will likely belong to the Bucks and Giannis Antetokounmpo. A DeRozan trade could start to gain more traction when the NBA offseason officially begins, though.
Sacramento watched as Dallas and San Antonio walked away from the draft lottery with the No. 1 and 2 picks, making the conference even stronger. It's now up to the new regime to turn the Kings into a legitimate threat — a task that will be easier said than done.