Kings, Bulls Seeking Third Team In DeMar DeRozan Trade Talks

The Sacramento Kings are contemplating possible sign-and-trade scenarios involving veteran wing DeMar DeRozan but they may need some help, per Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.

DeRozan is an unrestricted free agent and won’t be returning to the Chicago Bulls. Multiple others are said to be interested, as well. That list includes the Miami Heat, Los Angeles Lakers and San Antonio Spurs.

But Sacramento may have the most to offer.

“Certainly, DeMar DeRozan has played his last game for the Chicago Bulls,” Wojnarowski said on SportsCenter, via RealGM. “The one team that has been dug in with him and trying to find a sign-and-trade scenario are the Sacramento Kings. They’ve been talking this week. They’re going to need a third team involved in a sign-and-trade.

“Chicago, while they certainly are willing to facilitate to help DeMar DeRozan get more than the midlevel exception on a team that doesn’t have space, they don’t want to take back contracts, certainly significant contracts. They’ll need a third team to route a bigger salary to. Those conversations continue.

“I think there are some other scenarios for DeMar DeRozan, but I think Sacramento right now is the team to watch between now and when the moratorium ends over the next 24 to 48 hours.” 

DeRozan won’t pick a new team for a while since he doesn’t want to play for the mid-level exception, which is around $12 and $13 million per season. 

One of the best scorers in the NBA, DeRozan appeared in 79 games for the Bulls in 2023-24. The USC product averaged 24.0 points, 4.3 rebounds, 5.3 assists, 1.1 steals and 0.6 blocks while shooting 48.0% from the floor, 33.3% from beyond the arc and 85.3% from the free-throw line.  

DeRozan signed a three-year, $85 million contract with the Bulls in August 2021 as part of a sign-and-trade deal with the Spurs. 

(Ashish Mathur contributed to this report.)