Five days into the NBA’s free agency period, there is one free agent remaining who could be a major difference-maker for whatever team he ends up joining: DeMar DeRozan.
DeRozan may be nearing his 35th birthday next month, but he still appears to be at or near the top of his game. This past season with the Chicago Bulls, he averaged 24.0 points and 5.3 assists per game while shooting a solid 48.0 percent from the field.
As of Friday afternoon, according to ESPN insider Adrian Wojnarowski, the Bulls reportedly were engaged in sign-and-trade discussions with the Sacramento Kings, and an agreement involving DeRozan could be coming relatively soon.
Cameron Salerno of CBS Sports showed in a tweet how much of an upgrade DeRozan would be over Harrison Barnes in the Kings’ lineup.
DeRozan has been amazingly consistent for many years, and not only can score efficiently and consistently but also can be a playmaker for his teammates.
He isn’t a good 3-point shooter, and his defense is lackluster, but in Sacramento he would play a somewhat lesser role than he has played over the years for the Bulls, San Antonio Spurs and Toronto Raptors.
The main man for Sacramento is guard De’Aaron Fox, who averaged 26.6 points per game during the 2023-24 season, while star center Domantas Sabonis continues to show growth as a significant offensive option.
One thing that makes the Kings so potent is the fact that both Fox and Sabonis are excellent playmakers who pile up assists on a regular basis, and DeRozan would give them a third standout who is both a legitimate scorer and playmaker.
For the past two seasons, Sacramento has been one of the more dangerous offensive teams in the NBA but hasn’t gotten past the first round of the playoffs during that time. This past season, the Kings didn’t even make the playoffs, getting knocked out in the play-in round.
If he winds up with the Kings, DeRozan could be one of the missing pieces that could help them become contenders.
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