Kings Get Good DeMar DeRozan News Before Raptors Homecoming

For just the second time this season, the Sacramento Kings played without DeMar DeRozan. In their last outing, a loss to the Brooklyn Nets, DeRozan was sidelined due to right hamstring soreness. Luckily, he is set to return for a much more personal matchup.

To finish off a five-game road trip, the Kings are traveling to face the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday. After just his second absence of the season, DeRozan has been left off the Kings' injury report for his return to Toronto.

DeRozan to suit up in Toronto

Nov 6, 2024; Sacramento, California, USA; Sacramento Kings forward DeMar DeRozan (10) drives to the basket against Toronto Raptors guard Ochai Agbaji (30) during the first quarter at Golden 1 Center. | Ed Szczepanski-Imagn Images

The six-time All-Star forward spent the first nine years of his NBA career in Toronto, where he cemented himself as one of the best players in the franchise's history. DeRozan is the Raptors' all-time scoring and games played leader, so it is special every time he returns to the city.

This will be DeRozan's 11th game in Toronto since getting traded by the Raptors in the 2018 offseason, and through ten visits, he is averaging 23.0 points, 5.4 assists, and 4.5 rebounds per game. However, in his lone visit to Toronto as a King, he dropped 33 points, but he has not been back since November 2024.

As DeRozan, in his 17th NBA season at 36 years old, inches closer to retirement, these visits to Toronto likely mean even more to him. There will always be a mutual respect between DeRozan and the Raptors franchise, despite the Raptors not winning a title until they traded him for Kawhi Leonard.

On top of a simple return to Toronto, with nine points in Wednesday's matchup, DeRozan would pass Dominique Wilkins for 17th place on the NBA all-time scoring list, and there might not be a better opportunity to do so than his homecoming.

DeRozan's impact in Sacramento

DeMar DeRozan is the oldest player in NBA history to record 30+ PTS & 10+ AST with 0 TOV. pic.twitter.com/pSQj1SCorL
— Real App (@realapp) March 27, 2026

While DeRozan is not the prolific scorer he was in Toronto, he is still making a big impact in Sacramento. Even at his age, DeRozan is averaging 18.5 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 4.1 assists per game, while shooting 49.5% from the field. It is his first season since 2012-13 that he will not average 20+ points per game, but he is finding plenty of other ways to impact the team.

As the Kings turn to a rebuild phase, DeRozan's veteran presence is huge for the development of their young players. Similar to veteran point guard Russell Westbrook being the Kings' starting point guard, even though they do not fit the new timeline of the franchise, they remain valuable.

DeRozan's future with the Kings is certainly uncertain, as it would be great for the potential future Hall of Famer to compete in the playoffs again, but his time in Sacramento over the last two seasons has been underappreciated.