NBA Notes: Kings, DeMar DeRozan, Domantas Sabonis, Nuggets, Raptors

Kings

Following a lopsided play-in loss at home to the Mavericks, the Kings face a critical offseason clouded by questions surrounding the futures of two of their top players.

Veterans DeMar DeRozan and Domantas Sabonis both voiced concerns about the organization’s direction after a disappointing 40-42 campaign that ended with Sacramento finishing ninth in the Western Conference.

DeRozan, acquired last summer in a trade with Chicago, didn’t hold back in his postgame remarks, citing a lack of structure and uncertainty within the Kings as major issues throughout the season.

“I think all year we had such an uncertainty of everything,” DeRozan said, as reported by The Sacramento Bee’s Jason Anderson. “You can’t really operate in any successful environment if you have so much uncertainty.”

That uncertainty intensified after the game when general manager Monte McNair officially parted ways with the organization. Former Kings executive Scott Perry is reportedly close to a deal to return and lead the front office.

The franchise also dismissed head coach Mike Brown in December, promoting assistant Doug Christie on an interim basis. Christie is considered a strong candidate to retain the position, though Perry is expected to be involved in that decision.

The midseason trade of franchise point guard De’Aaron Fox to San Antonio added to the instability. Fox had previously rejected a three-year maximum extension and voiced hesitancy about committing to the team long-term without a clear path to contention.

Sabonis echoed DeRozan’s sentiments, stressing the importance of clarity moving forward.

“I want to stay here. I want to win here,” Sabonis said. “But I also do want to know what’s going to happen. All these things are happening so quick. I want to get together with the new people and really try to get this right and get it back to where it was before.”

Both DeRozan and Sabonis are under contract — DeRozan for two more seasons at just over $50 million, and Sabonis with three years left on a four-year, $186 million deal. However, trade requests remain a possibility if doubts persist about the Kings’ ability to compete.

Now 35, DeRozan emphasized the urgency he feels entering his 17th NBA season.

“It’s difficult. It’s frustrating. It’s emotional,” he said. “As much as I care for [the game], as much as I live it, it’s hurtful when you just don’t give yourself an opportunity to play for what matters … the window [is] closing. It ain’t like this job is like being a teacher or being a reporter where y’all can do this as long as you can.”

Nuggets

As the postseason nears, Nuggets interim head coach David Adelman says his focus remains solely on the team — not on his own future.

Adelman, who took over in the final stretch of the regular season following the dismissal of longtime head coach Michael Malone, said that he isn’t treating the playoffs as an audition for a full-time role, via Bennett Durando of the Denver Post.

“You’re going to think I’m lying, but I haven’t thought about that,” Adelman said. “This thing has happened so fast, and my No. 1 concern was getting this team, this group of people [into] the playoffs.”

The Nuggets managed to avoid a slide into the play-in tournament, securing a top-four seed despite midseason turbulence. Adelman credited the organization’s belief in him and said he’s simply focused on repaying that trust.

“I see this as: This franchise, this organization already has given me a chance right here,” he said. “I owe them that.”

Raptors

Raptors’ front office, led by team president Masai Ujiri, is focused on returning the franchise to championship contention, Ujiri said during his end-of-season news conference this week.

Reflecting on Toronto’s 2019 NBA title, Ujiri admitted he didn’t fully enjoy the moment and remains driven by the desire to bring another championship to the city.

“[Our goal] is getting better and adding more players and building this team and growing to be a championship team,” Ujiri said. “A championship is the end goal of all of this, and when that comes, we don’t know, but we have to identify those players and build with those kinds of players.”

The Raptors signaled their intent to accelerate a return to contention by acquiring forward Brandon Ingram at the trade deadline and signing him to a multiyear contract extension before he appeared in a game for the team.

“At the end of the day, you have to acquire talent,” Ujiri said. “We have to do it in a unique way in the market that we’re in and we’ve got to jump on opportunities that come our way, sometimes after we really study them.”

Ujiri’s remarks contrast with his message at the end of last season, when he emphasized patience and appeared open to a longer-term rebuild. The shift in tone comes after a season that saw several rookies make meaningful contributions. Ja’Kobe Walter, Jonathan Mogbo, Jamal Shead and Jamison Battle each played key roles, offering encouragement for the franchise’s developmental pipeline.

“I was really happy with the way these guys played and hopefully their development comes up more and more,” Ujiri said. “Yeah, we tried to attack the odds in the lottery and see what we can do. It’s a good draft. And honestly, wherever we fall, we feel very confident. Our guys have done a lot of work all year. We’re extremely excited.”

The Raptors missed the playoffs this season and will look to improve through the draft and offseason acquisitions.