Dark horse DeMar DeRozan suitor could threaten Lakers, Heat for Bulls star

It's looking more and more like DeMar DeRozan has played his last game in a Chicago Bulls uniform. Despite early indications that both sides desired a reunion, Chicago has (finally) flipped the switch and changed directions on the team-building front.

Swapping Alex Caruso for Josh Giddey signaled a strong emphasis on the future — not to mention Giddey's significant skill overlap with DeMar DeRozan, another 6-foot-7ish wing slasher who is limited from 3-point range. Spacing was a huge issue for Chicago last season and GIddey has been propped up as a new foundational piece. That was the first sign of DeRozan's uncertain future.

Now, the Bulls are avidly looking to flip Zach LaVine and Lonzo Ball for cap space. Patrick WIlliams re-signed on a five-year, $90 million contract, but that reads as a long-term investment in the 25-year-old — not a commitment to the status quo. If anything, Chicago could hope to unlock Williams' ceiling by featuring him more in a rebuilding context.

DeRozan has been squeezed by the free agent market a bit. He's easily the biggest name still unsigned (not including LeBron James, whose Lakers return is wholly inevitable). The Lakers and Clippers are well-documented possibilities, while the Miami Heat have recently joined the fray as a fringe contender in need of more firepower.

That said, DeRozan could end up going to a completely unexpected team instead. According to ESPN's Marc J. Spears, the Sacramento Kings are a "dark horse" for the 34-year-old All-Star. He also says the Kings "got a move coming soon," indicating an aggressive approach from Monte McNair and the front office.

Kings emerge as dark horse to steal DeMar DeRozan away from Lakers, Heat

DeRozan is probably not going to sign for the mid-level exception, which clocks in a shade below $13 million. That means the Kings — or any interested party — will need to work out a sign-and-trade with Chicago. It shouldn't take much in terms of assets considering DeRozan's age and his free agent status, but he will demand at least three years on his contract. That is serious long-term money for a veteran on the decline.

For Sacramento, there is a palpable desperation to keep up with the Western Conference arms race. After an impressive 2022-23 campaign, the Kings were bounced in the first round by a lower-seeded Warriors team. Then, last season, Sacramento missed the playoffs entirely as the West's level of competition spiked.

The Kings are undeniably good, but it takes a great team to make serious noise in the postseason. Domantas Sabonis and De'Aaron Fox appear to have reached a ceiling with the current roster. The Kings can hang with any team offensively, and Sabonis is a perennial fringe MVP candidate with his monster efficiency and across-the-board production. But, the defense is an issue, and Sabonis' playoffs track record is decidedly mixed.

It's clear the Kings would benefit from another source of star-power to diversify the offense and hopefully change their postseason fortunes. DeRozan and Fox are both clutch gods who perform well late in games. The Kings' halfcourt offense is potent, but the Fox-Sabonis two-man game has its limits and Sacramento would find ways to profit from DeRozan's self-creation, pick-and-roll playmaking, and three-level scoring.

That said, DeRozan's age doesn't align perfectly with the Kings' timeline, and he is not a good defender at this stage of his career. Sacramento probably needs to sacrifice at least one rotation wing — either Harrison Barnes or Kevin Huerter — to match DeRozan's new salary, and he meaningfully weakens a defense that is already problematic.

If the Kings make other moves, such as adding a viable help-side rim protector to insulate Sabonis in the post, in addition to signing DeRozan, that helps. But if the big offseason swing is just DeRozan via sign-and-trade, that probably doesn't move the needle as much as Sacramento fans would like.