DeMar DeRozan's Surprising Return: 2025-26 Sacramento Kings Preview

After an offseason where it felt like he would be traded, DeMar DeRozan returns for his second season with the Sacramento Kings.

Mar 22, 2025; Sacramento, California, USA; Sacramento Kings forward DeMar DeRozan (10) before the game against the Milwaukee Bucks at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images | Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

When the offseason began, it felt like a sure thing that six-time All-Star DeMar DeRozan and the Sacramento Kings would part ways after a tumultuous season that included Mike Brown's firing and De'Aaron Fox being traded.

DeRozan was brought in by Monte McNair to help take the Kings to the next level, but instead, Sacramento finished with one of its most underwhelming seasons in recent memory. A DeRozan trade made all the sense in the world, but a market never came to fruition, and now the future Hall-of-Fame seems all but certain to return for a second season in Sacramento.

Sacramento Kings Season Previews: Domantas Sabonis

2024-25 Season Recap

22.2 PTS, 3.9 REB, 4.4 AST, 0.8 STL, 0.4 BLK, 47.7 FG%, 32.8 3P%

While the Kings had an up-and-down season, DeRozan continued to do exactly what he's always done in his career: put the ball in the basket.

It was his 12th straight season scoring 20+ points per game, and he showed no signs of slowing down. He once again led the league in mid-range field goal attempts with 8.3 per game. While that was as impressive as ever, the Kings were fighting for their lives to try and keep up with teams from beyond the arc, something that the mid-range looks made it difficult to do.

That's not all on DeRozan, as the Kings' three-point defense was the worst in the league, but it did make their lives more difficult at times. DeRozan's unique play style and old-school ways could be part of why a trade market didn't materialize this offseason.

But in the end, DeRozan did exactly what he was brought in to do. He made buckets and scored in crunch time, but unfortunately, it didn't translate to wins in Sacramento.

Biggest Question for 2025-26 Season

Apr 13, 2025; Sacramento, California, USA; Sacramento Kings forward DeMar DeRozan (10) shoots as Phoenix Suns forward Oso Ighodaro (4) and forward Royce O'Neale (00) defend during the first quarter at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: John Hefti-Imagn Images | John Hefti-Imagn Images

The biggest question mark for DeRozan has little to nothing to do with his on-court production, but all centers on his future with the Kings. Even though he's set to return this season, there's no guarantee the All-Star will finish the year with the team.

It's been reported that the Kings are going to look at trading DeRozan during the season when his trade value is higher. If a team is hit by injury or needs another scoring punch, they could call on DeRozan to come in and be that missing piece.

DeRozan's contract also looks better going forward, with only $10 million guaranteed for the 2026-27 season. That could make him one of the most sought-after trade deadline targets for a team looking to make some noise in the playoffs.

Biggest Concern

There aren't many concerns when it comes to DeRozan's game. You know what you're going to get night in and night out, but with the roster as currently constructed, the two things that stand out are defense, and building towards the future.

DeRozan's defense isn't terrible, but him alongside Zach LaVine and Domantas Sabonis makes it difficult for the team to succeed on that end.

And while DeRozan is one of the best ever to play the game, it seems clear his time with the team is limited, even if he does finish the season in Sacramento. Nique Clifford has already shown promise and would benefit from as much playing time as possible. But that's hard to do if he's backing up a future Hall-of-Famer.

It's possible DeRozan helps lead the Kings this year and Sacramento surprises everyone, but in the daunting Western Conference, that seems unlikely as the season is about to get underway.