The 2024-25 was a disappointing one of the Sacramento Kings. They traded franchise player De’Aaron Fox and ended up with what was essentially resembled the Chicago Bulls’ old core.
The new-look Kings finished the campaign with a 40-42 record, good enough for the 9th seed and a spot in the Western Conference Play-In Tournament. It did not take long after that for their season to officially come to an end.
With a lackluster core of Domantas Sabonis, Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan, changes are expected in Sacramento. Most are of the belief that change is on its way.
DeMar DeRozan
Mar 7, 2025; Sacramento, California, USA; Sacramento Kings forward DeMar DeRozan (10) reacts to a call during the fourth quarter of the game against the San Antonio Spurs at Golden 1 Center.
© Ed Szczepanski-Imagn Images
Michael Scotto dropped his latest round of intel on Wednesday. The Kings had a big role in the murmurings going on around the league. Their core is not expected to stay together.
Scotto wrote, “Looking ahead to the offseason, rival NBA executives are monitoring the trio of Domantas Sabonis, Zach LaVine, and DeMar DeRozan with the belief that Sacramento will exploring the possibility of trading at least one of those players either this offseason or before the trade deadline in February.”
New general manager Scott Perry just took over for the Kings ahead of the 2025 offseason. It certainly does not look like much time will be wasted on putting his own fingerprints on the team.
The Kings do not currently possess a ton of draft capital for a potential rebuild. Trading Sabonis, LaVine, or DeRozan would theoretically allow Sacramento to build their stockpile.
Sabonis and LaVine will both face the uphill battle of holding hefty contracts that may both prove tough to move. The Kings center is set to make $43.6 million for next season. The high-scoring is due for $47.5 million in 2025-26 by comparison.
DeRozan, at $24.8 million, will be the most affordable trade target for rival teams looking for an upgrade.