The Sacramento Kings recently made a move by trading Keon Ellis and Dennis Schroder to the Cleveland Cavaliers in exchange for De'Andre Hunter, and many anticipate that more moves could be on the horizon. Several Kings players, including big man Domantas Sabonis, have come up in trade discussions this year as the deadline approaches.
Recently, NBA insider Anthony Slater of The Athletic reported on what the future could hold for veteran Kings shooting guard DeMar DeRozan in the coming days.
“The Kings have no plan to buy out DeMar DeRozan if he’s still on the team after the trade deadline, per sources,” reported Slater on X, formerly Twitter. “DeRozan is owed $25.7 million next season, but only $10 million is guaranteed.”
At this point, it's unclear what exactly the trade market looks like for DeRozan, who is still a talented scorer, but whose skillset is not exactly well-suited for the way the game is played in the modern NBA. It seems that if the Kings aren't able to find a deal for him before Thursday's deadline, then he'll be with the team at least through the end of the season.
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Meanwhile, the Kings have reportedly had calls with some teams, including the Toronto Raptors, on Sabonis, a talented big man who has seen some injury troubles in recent years that may have impacted his value. Sabonis' poor performance in the 2023 playoffs, the Kings' lone appearance in the postseason in recent memory, may also give teams some pause to part ways with heavy assets in order to bring him in.
Overall, the Kings are still looking to pick out a clear future direction, currently still with a bizarre mix of role players and aging veterans, without much young talent in the mix.
In any case, the NBA trade deadline is set for Thursday afternoon.