Kings’ Blockbuster Trade Seen as ‘Bad Move’ by NBA Analyst

The Sacramento Kings splashed in free agency in 2024 by securing a sign-and-trade deal for wing DeMar DeRozan from the Chicago Bulls.

DeRozan is a 6-time All-Star player who will bring valuable experience to the Kings' locker room. Despite DeRozan's long list of accolades and statistics, one NBA analyst thinks this deal will turn sour for Sacramento.

Anyone suggesting that DeMar DeRozan isn’t a clear talent upgrade over Harrison Barnes probably hasn’t watched many Kings games the last few years. Acquire talent, figure out fit later. The Kings are better today than they were 24 hours ago — and that’s all that matters.
— Cameron Salerno (@cameronsalerno1) July 7, 2024

Bleacher Reports' Grant Hughes sees DeRozan as a bad fit for the Kings heading into the 2024-25 NBA season. Despite saying the move is an "affordable talent upgrade", Hughes thinks that DeRozan won't offer much value off the ball.

But building a coherent team isn't as simple as totaling up its players' points per game. DeRozan, a notoriously low-volume three-point shooter, isn't going to offer much off-ball value. And when the rock's in his hands, Fox and Sabonis can't work their two-man magic in the pick-and-roll game. DeRozan's presence also makes a weak defense weaker.
Grant Hughes, B/R

While DeRozan isn't the strongest defender, it's hard to argue that Harrison Barnes was any better in Sacramento. Each of Barnes' worst defensive ratings in his career came during his time with the Kings.

In fact, the last time DeRozan ended with a worse defensive rating than Barnes was the 2015-16 season – nearly a decade ago. DeRozan's impact should be felt more on the offensive end, an area of the court where he's averaged 20+ ppg over the last 11 seasons.

How far could the Kings go with DeMar DeRozan next year? 🤔

"If you ask anybody in this league about DeMar DeRozan they are going to say, 'I don't want to guard him...'"

- Raymond Felton

(Via: To the Baha) pic.twitter.com/XVn4zyvMn4
— Tidal League (@TidalLeague) July 16, 2024

One other issue that Hughes brought up is DeRozan's age, a factor that could come into play as early as this year. At age 35, DeRozan could be due for a down year.

Decline should be the expectation. This is a perfect "sneaky" bad move to start with because so many aspects of it are objectively good. You have to peek into the dark corners and get a little pessimistic to uncover the downsides.
Grant Hughes, B/R

Hughes' opinion overlooks DeRozan's numbers over the final stretch of his career. Three of his four highest-scoring years have come in the last four seasons. On top of that, his three-point shooting has steadily increased throughout his time in the association.

DeMar DeRozan's clutch reel this year has been ridiculous.

Read his case for Clutch Player of the Year here: https://t.co/6npIjsMLwb pic.twitter.com/QxcB703MMM
— Steph Noh (@StephNoh) March 14, 2024

Anyone can cast doubt on the Kings' front office, but general manager Monte McNair made the move for a reason. Three star players are better than two, and the Kings may have found the final piece to a rebuild that's spanned for years.

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