One Starter the Kings Need to Move on From This Offseason

The Sacramento Kings are in for a busy offseason after another disappointing year reaches its end. Sacramento’s season has been marred by injuries, but it was clear that this Kings team wasn’t going anywhere, even if they were healthy.

Unfortunately, there may not be many changes available to the Kings, as Zach LaVine and Domantas Sabonis are both on tough contracts to move. That’s why there’s one player the Kings must move on from, and that is DeMar DeRozan.

Taken for Granted

DeRozan has been a consummate pro his entire career, and nothing has changed in Sacramento. It would have been so easy for a player who has won so much in his career to fall victim to the dysfunction, but DeRozan hasn’t. He shows up and plays almost every single game, puts in effort, and keeps the team grounded when no one else can score. Fans have even been able to watch him climb into 17th on the NBA’s all-time scoring list.

Congrats to @DeMar_DeRozan of the @SacramentoKings for moving up to 17th on the all-time SCORING list! pic.twitter.com/tmnWRO4L3f
— NBA (@NBA) April 2, 2026

DeRozan will always be remembered as one of the best midrange scorers in the history of the game, but his style of play is becoming a thing of the past for a reason. Much to the chagrin of tenured NBA fans, the league is about pace and space now, and DeRozan’s game is the antithesis of that.

This doesn’t mean that DeRozan isn’t effective; being able to score 19 points per game on almost 50% from the field isn’t something to dismiss, but it just isn’t what Sacramento needs right now.

Time to Pass the Torch

As great as it would be to find a place for DeRozan on this Kings team, someone needs to make room for the younger players. With Sabonis’ contract coming in at over $45 million next season, Max Raynaud and Dylan Cardwell are likely guaranteed to start the season on the bench.

While LaVine’s prohibitive player option is going to make it really hard to find a suitor for him, moving DeRozan is another way to open up time for Nique Clifford. If the end of this season has proven anything, it’s that Clifford and the other rookies need as many opportunities to play as possible.

NIQUE CLIFFORD POSTER —

RISE UP. 🔥

pic.twitter.com/fP63rpa3FM
— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) March 12, 2026

In March, Clifford started 11 of 12 games and averaged 12 points, 5.5 boards, and 4 assists per game while shooting 36% from three. The numbers may be modest, but you can see that Clifford is starting to get more and more comfortable each game. Sacramento has tried fitting Nique into the point guard role, which would make it much easier to get him on the court, but that isn’t really who he is as a player.

On top of the likely immovable players on the Kings’ roster, they’re going to be adding a high draft pick who will also need to be prioritized. Add in the possibility of two second-round picks, and the Kings will have a roster full of young players and not a lot of avenues to find minutes for them. Indeed, DeRozan’s playstyle isn’t conducive to a modern NBA team, but the bigger reason the Kings need to move him is that he may be the only veteran that is movable.

The Grass is Always Greener

I know the phrase is meant to convey that longing for something different can be a fool's errand, but for DeRozan, the grass really will be greener elsewhere. He may not be the same guy who could score 28 points per game and lead a team to the playoffs, but he can still be a useful scorer for a playoff team. Sacramento may not be getting a king’s ransom for him, but his malleable contract opens up a lot of options.

DeMar DeRozan scores 9 clutch points against the Raptors, Prcecious Achiuwa lays in the final dagger (with replays)

Both DeRozan and Achiuwa finished with 28 points, each.

Also on YouTube:https://t.co/4UpSuZKheO pic.twitter.com/KZzBQ8kcFd
— MrBuckBuck (@MrBuckBuckNBA) April 2, 2026

DeRozan is only guaranteed $10 million next season and can be waived before January 10th, 2027. Not only does this give the Kings the option to move on this summer, but it also makes it much more likely that there will be a team interested. It was clear that the Kings didn’t have a lot of suitors at the deadline, but some teams may realize they need some help putting the ball in the basket after the playoffs.

On top of the benefits for the Kings’ future, DeRozan deserves one more shot to play meaningful basketball. Whether that ends up being at home in LA, back where he started in Toronto, or elsewhere, I don’t think I’m alone in hoping he gets that shot. As great as it would have been to see DeRozan wearing purple and black in the playoffs, that ship has sailed, and it’s time for both parties to do the right thing.