DeMar DeRozan's Future With Kings Just Became Crystal Clear

Of all the veterans on the Kings roster, DeRozan always had the easiest path out. Not only because of his non-guaranteed deal, but also because his salary was lower than that of Zach LaVine and Domantas Sabonis. Throw in the fact that he can still score with the best of them, and it always felt like DeRozan would be playing in another uniform next season.

If the Kings do waive and stretch DeRozan, they'll have just over $3 million on the books for the next three years, which is essentially a drop in the bucket in the current NBA landscape. In total, they'll save around $22 million for the upcoming year with the move, which is desperately needed as they were projected to be a second apron team with the roster as is.

A Look Back

DeRozan will move on after two years in Sacramento, where he averaged 20.3 points, 4.3 assists, and 3.4 rebounds on 48.6% shooting from the field and 32.5% from beyond the arc. He did exactly what he's always done, making tough bucket after tough bucket and helping carry the Kings offense throughout the last two seasons.

The issue for the Kings is that that just wasn't exactly what they needed. The hope was that DeRozan would come in and help De'Aaron Fox and Sabonis get back to the playoffs and contend for a deep playoff run, but now Fox is in San Antonio and Sabonis is in trade rumors as well.

It was fun watching DeRozan show his immense talent, but his time in Sacramento will likely be looked back on as a blip in an otherwise Hall-of-Fame-worthy career, especially if he goes to the Los Angeles Clippers and they make noise in the playoffs.

What's Next for the Kings

The Kings can now fully lean into the young players on the roster, including the rookie selected later tonight. DeRozan was professional all of last season, but having him off the roster going forward will open up 30+ minutes to distribute to the younger guys.

The move should also naturally increase the Kings' three-point shooting volume, which is something they struggled with during DeRozan's tenure in Sacramento. Over the last two seasons, the Kings have averaged 30.2 and 35.2 three-point attempts per game, good for last and seventh-fewest in each respective year.

It's hard to argue that a DeRozan mid-range shot isn't a good one, but it will be easier to get back to a modern NBA offense with DeRozan and his mid-range shooting heading elsewhere next season.