DeMar DeRozan is on the open market. The Sacramento Kings decided they had enough.
Sacramento waived DeRozan after failing to find a trade partner for the six time All Star, per ESPN’s Shams Charania. That was not necessarily how the Kings wanted this to play out, but with the trade market not producing an acceptable offer, they had to take the loss and move on.
DeRozan was owed $25.7 million on his current deal for next season, but only $10 million of that was guaranteed. The Kings will waive and stretch the $10 million over three years, which spreads out the cap hit and gives them a little bit of flexibility to work with going forward.
Now DeRozan gets to pick his next home. That is a real perk of hitting the open market at his stage of career. He is not chasing a max deal. He is chasing the right situation on a competitive team.
Multiple contenders are already circling. The Rockets have long been linked to DeRozan and could use another wing scorer alongside Alperen Sengun. The Lakers make sense on paper if they need to replace some of the veteran experience they lost. The Warriors would love another shot creator to take pressure off Steph Curry. Miami loved him before Giannis Antetokounmpo arrived, and they still have needs on the wing.
What does DeRozan bring at this stage of his career? He is 36 years old, which is not young, but he is coming off a season where he averaged 22.2 points, 4.4 assists, and 3.7 rebounds while shooting 47.8 percent from the field. That is solid production for a guy who has been playing at this level for 15 plus years.
He is not a defender. That has been the knock forever. But he can still create his own shot in the midrange, get to the line at a high rate, and play the type of veteran leadership role that contenders always look for.
His fit on a title contender is limited by his defensive shortcomings. Coaches have to hide him. Playoff opponents will target him. That is the reality with DeRozan. But when you need a bucket in the fourth quarter, he is one of the most reliable options in the league.
The Kings’ decision to move on is not necessarily a criticism of him. Sacramento has been trying to figure out its roster ever since De’Aaron Fox was traded and Domantas Sabonis started struggling with injuries. Moving DeRozan gives them cleaner cap flexibility and a chance to rebuild the culture around younger players.
For DeRozan, this is a chance to close his career on his terms. He has never been on a team that made a deep playoff run since his early Toronto years. Picking the right contender could give him one shot at a Finals appearance before he calls it a career.
The Rockets feel like the best fit on multiple levels. Houston has size, defense, and shooting. Adding DeRozan gives them a proven scorer in crunch time. Fred VanVleet’s contract situation could open up money for DeRozan to sign for the mid level exception.
DeRozan has options. He is going to take his time. Do not expect a decision in the next 48 hours. But when he does pick a landing spot, the Western Conference’s balance is going to shift again.
A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.
