The Sacramento Kings are reportedly a powerful suitor for veteran wing DeMar DeRozan in a possible three-team commerce.
Based on NBA insider Marc Stein, the Kings are trying so as to add DeRozan by way of a sign-and-trade, and the Chicago Bulls are open to doing it, however provided that they’ll embody a 3rd group to tackle some wage.
Per Stein, the San Antonio Spurs have emerged as doubtlessly being prepared to be the third-team facilitator within the deal.
TNT Sports activities and B/R’s Chris Haynes reported DeRozan and his reps will meet with the Kings as “early as right now” in Sacramento to listen to the group’s recruiting pitch.
DeRozan, who will flip 35 on Aug. 7, has spent the previous three seasons in Chicago after earlier stints with the Toronto Raptors and Spurs.
Over the course of his 15-year NBA profession, DeRozan is a six-time All-Star and three-time All-NBA choice, and he owns profession averages of 21.2 factors, 4.4 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 1.0 steal per sport.
After being named an All-Star in every of his first two seasons with the Bulls, DeRozan didn’t make the All-Star Sport in 2023-24, however he nonetheless put up wonderful numbers with 24.0 factors, 5.3 assists, 4.3 rebounds and 1.1 steals per contest.
DeRozan additionally completed second within the NBA Clutch Participant of the Yr Award voting, one 12 months after ending third.
The Kings might be an excellent touchdown spot for DeRozan since they’re a stable group in want of a 3rd star to play alongside Domantas Sabonis and De’Aaron Fox.
Regardless of going 46-36 final season, Sacramento missed the playoffs after failing to make it by means of the play-in event, though it made the playoffs the earlier 12 months with a 48-34 mark, ending a 16-year postseason drought.
Assuming DeRozan will get one thing near the $27.3 million common annual wage he made throughout his final contract, the Kings would probably must half with at the least certainly one of Harrison Barnes or Kevin Huerter in a sign-and-trade since they may make $18 million and $16.8 million, respectively, subsequent season.
Even when one or each of them are moved, the Kings would have a powerful roster headlined by Sabonis, Fox, DeRozan, Malik Monk and Keegan Murray.
It’s unclear if that might be sufficient to make the Kings championship contenders, however given how deep the Western Convention is, there is no such thing as a one dominant group, so they’d probably be within the combine on the very least.
The Kings haven’t made it out of the primary spherical of the playoffs since 2004, however a core of Sabonis, Fox and DeRozan would undoubtedly be a troublesome out come playoff time.