The Sacramento Kings were one of the worst teams in the NBA this past season. It was a nightmare season from the start. Injuries and poor play plagued the team from the moment the year started. Two of their starters had surgery, too.
One veteran who played most of the season was DeMar DeRozan. He was the most consistent player for the Kings, even if his stats dropped from a year ago. He played in 77 games and was one of the leaders of the team. Yet, his play wasn’t good enough for the team to come close to making the playoffs.
Now, DeRozan is trying to find a way out of Sacramento.
GettySacramento Kings forward DeMar DeRozan holds the ball in a game. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
DeMar DeRozan is trying to Get Away from the Kings
DeRozan is trying to find a way out of Sacramento, according to Kelly Iko of Yahoo Sports.
“Kings wing DeMar DeRozan, who is owed $25 million for the upcoming season — with only $10 million guaranteed — is hoping to accelerate his exit, either by being waived and testing the open market or being traded sooner rather than later, sources say,” Iko wrote.
DeRozan would likely have some interest in the buyout market. He could be a veteran player that a contending team would love to have come off the bench. He’s an extremely durable player who could start, but he might be most effective as a bench player on a really good team.
DeRozan is tired of playing on a team that has no shot of making the playoffs. He wants to play some meaningful basketball. It would be surprising if someone tried to trade for him, though. His age and his contract would make it shocking if a team pursued that route.
DeRozan being outright waived seems to be the most logical conclusion. There is a chance that the Kings want to keep him as a veteran presence on a rebuilding team. The issue with that is they already have several other veteran players with no easy way to move them.
GettySacramento Kings DeMar DeRozan dribbles the ball in a game. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
Sacramento is Stuck in the Middle of Timelines
The Kings have an issue with their roster construction. They clearly are a team that needs to rebuild, but they have too many veteran contracts to get younger, as a lot of their players don’t have much trade value. They are likely going to be stuck near the bottom of the West again.
That is why DeRozan wants to find a way out of town, if he can. He doesn’t want to play for a bad team at the end of his career. He will be 37 years old when next season starts, so his career is coming towards a close. It’s clear he wants to play for a team that has at least a shot to make the playoffs.
Sacramento had the fifth-worst offense in the NBA last season. They will likely put together a similar number next season.
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