NBA Trade: Grading the wild 3-team Spurs, Kings, and Bulls DeRozan swap
By Cal Durrett
Sacramento Kings
After struggling to replicate their success from 2022–23 last season, the Kings have been expected to make a move to improve their roster and the DeRozan sign-and-trade looks to be their big move. While the Kings don't have any problem putting the ball in the basket, they probably weren't going to make a move that was going to dramatically improve their defense.
Therefore, getting the best player that they could get makes sense. DeRozan will replace Barnes in their starting five and give them a player who averaged 24 points and 6 assists last season. Players like that don't normally go to Sacramento so landing him on an affordable deal that will pay him around $25 million a year for the next three years seems like a steal.
Then again, DeRozan is 34 years old and while he has held up remarkably well, he may not look the same in the third year of that deal. It's a wise gamble though, with the rising salary cap likely helping to offset any possible dropoff. The Kings did have to give up a second and an unprotected first-round pick swap in 2031. That could prove to be a big deal with the Spurs on the rise while the Kings are peaking. Still, it is a worthwhile gamble the Kings needed to make to try and keep pace in the West.