This storyline could ruin the Sacramento Kings 2024 offseason

Many people viewed the Sacramento Kings as one of the biggest winners of the 2024 offseason (myself included). They were able to re-sign Malik Monk at a lower price than many people thought he would sign for and draft Devin Carter in a spot that many believed was a steal. But the headliner of it all was the sign-and-trade that gave the Kings six-time All-Star DeMar DeRozan.

DeRozan's unspectacular defense and archaic shot diet make him a polarizing player. But many people liked the signing for the Kings because of how little they gave up, the contract they signed him to, and DeRozan's durability.

Unfortunately, this recent news has put that last portion into question and, as a result, made the other two parts seem less valid.

DeMar DeRozan's nagging back injury

Last season, DeRozan's age 34 season, the star wing only missed three games. Before the start of this week, DeRozan had already tied that mark by missing three straight games with a back injury.

In isolation, this news isn't all that concerning. Even super durable players can't miss three games or less every single year. What raises some concerns is the fact that DeRozan missed his fourth game of the year on Wednesday against the Minnesota Timberwolves with...the same back injury.

When you combine those data points with the fact that DeRozan turned 35 in August, that is when the heart rate starts to go up.

You never want to speculate, and you certainly never hope anyone gets hurt. But what if this ends up being a recurring theme for DeRozan this season?

Not only are the Kings going to be without one of their best players for random games throughout the season, but the contract they signed him to (roughly 3-year, 74 million, per Spotrac) doesn't seem like as much of a bargain and the deal they negotiated with the San Antonio Spurs doesn't seem like as much of a fleece (Harrison Barnes is playing well, and the Spurs still have the 2031 first round pick swap).

Now, there is a chance that the Kings medical staff could just be taking precautions and strategically resting DeRozan to keep the issue from worsening and keep him fresh for the home stretch. But at the very least, it's another thing (for a team that already has enough issues) to worry about.