Sacramento’s Bold Move: Could DeMar DeRozan Be on the Trade Block?

Sometimes, the truth is ugly — and in Sacramento, the harsh reality finally landed squarely on the Kings’ front office. After stumbling out of the gate with a mediocre 13-18 start riddled with close losses, the brass pulled the plug on Mike Brown’s tenure and tapped Doug Christie, a familiar face within the organization, to try and right the ship. This shakeup triggered ripples throughout the team, none more notable than De’Aaron Fox’s frustrated trade request, sparking a complicated exchange that welcomed Zach LaVine back into the fold. That left Sacramento with a revamped nucleus featuring DeMar DeRozan, Domantas Sabonis, and LaVine — a trio decent enough, but evidently not enough to crack the playoff puzzle under Christie’s guidance. The fallout didn’t stop there; Monte Morris was ousted as GM, and in stepped Scott Perry, a seasoned executive eyeing transformative moves.

Now, the buzz in Sacramento isn’t about hopeful rebuilds or incremental tweaks. It’s about the impending possibility of DeRozan hitting the trade block, a move that signals this new regime isn’t interested in treading water any longer. DeRozan, while still capable of filling the scoreboard, operates in a style that some see as a double-edged sword — a mid-range maestro who’s less compatible with modern spacing and defensive schemes. And let’s be honest, his hefty salary and upcoming free agency add layers of intrigue and complexity to any potential trade. For DeRozan himself, time’s running out. His candid remarks on wanting to chase a playoff berth before his window slams shut underscore just how much is at stake for both player and franchise.

If there’s one thing clear as daylight, it’s that Sacramento’s next moves will define this team’s future — whether that means reshaping their identity or doubling down on a direction that’s yet to prove itself. The coming weeks (and trades) promise to be anything but boring.

LEARN MORE

DeRozan, 35, is still an efficient bucket getter, especially from the mid-range. He averaged 22.2 points and 4.4 assists per game last season. DeRozan will make .8 million next season and .7 million in the 2026-27 season, at which point he becomes a free agent.“You don’t have many opportunities left to give yourself a chance to compete in the playoffs. That’s all you kind of want at this stage of your career…” DeRozan said. “I’m not trying to play another five, six years. You’ve only got so many years. That window closes quick.”It was a long road, but the Sacramento Kings — particularly ownership — seems to understand this team was just not that good. The Kings may find the market for DeRozan limited, he is seen more as a floor raiser than a piece to add for a deep playoff run. While he can score points, he prefers to work in isolation and doesn’t shoot many 3-pointers, which means he’s not a natural fit on a lot of rosters. He’s also a minus defender. For his part, DeRozan sounded like a guy resigned to the idea he might be on the move when speaking to the media after the end of the Kings’ season.

Said ownership was not happy with how things started last season, the team was 13-18 and losing a lot of close games, so coach Mike Brown was fired and replaced by organizational favorite Doug Christie. How that we t down left a bad taste in the mouth of De’Aaron Fox, who asked for a trade, a complex deal that brought back Zach LaVine to provide some scoring. The result of all that? A core of DeMar DeRozan, Domantas Sabonis and LaVine, coached by Christie, which went 12-15 after the All-Star break and could not get out of the play-in. That led to GM Monte Morris being shown the door and Scott Perry being brought back from the Knicks to turn things around.How does he turn things around? Possibly trade DeRozan, Jake Fischer of The Stein Line reports.The focus in the California capital shifts now to what sort of dealing we could see from the Kings’ new regime. There has been no shortage of rumbles, since the hiring of Scott Perry as general manager, that Sacramento is expected to gauge the trade market for veteran swingman DeMar DeRozan.