The Sacramento Kings emerged late this week as the front-runner to land DeMar DeRozan from the Chicago Bulls, and on Saturday night they managed to make it happen.
That is when the Kings reportedly agreed to a sign-and-trade deal with the Bulls to land DeRozan, with the San Antonio Spurs being involved as a third team in the deal.
The Kings are sending Harrison Barnes to the Spurs as part of the trade, while Chicago is getting Chris Duarte, two second-round draft picks and cash.
DeRozan’s deal with the Kings is reportedly a three-year, $74 million contract.
Getting DeRozan is a huge score for a Kings team that is looking to rebound from a disappointing 2023-24 season that saw them get eliminated in the play-in tournament. It represented a significant step backward after making the playoffs in 2022-23 and eliminating the Golden State Warriors in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs.
The Kings have a really strong young core led by De’Aaron Fox, but DeRozan should provide a strong veteran presence to the lineup.
DeRozan, 34, spent the past three seasons with the Bulls and averaged more than 24 points per game each season and more than five assists per game the past two years.
As for the Bulls, it is simply a sign of where the organization is heading in the coming years where lowering salary and getting younger seems to be the name of the game. The Bulls already traded fan favorite Alex Caruso this offseason, and the future of Zach LaVine is also in serious doubt with the team.
