SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The rollercoaster of Sacramento Kings offseason rumors continues.
Suddenly, the Kings have been labeled the favorite to land six-time NBA all-star DeMar DeRozan, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, however, things are a little complicated.
Woj's report during a segment on SportsCenter included the need for a third team in the sign-and-trade deal that would bring DeRozan to Sacramento, due to the Chicago Bulls' desire to avoid taking in a large salary as part of the deal.
As it stands, the Kings are just under $15 million short of the first luxury tax apron, set at $178.1 million. The Kings cannot take in DeRozan's salary, which is expected to be around $25 million annually, if it exceeds that number. Therefore, the Kings must trade away enough salary to be able to pay DeRozan and stay under the apron. Kevin Huerter's $16 million salary next season, and Harrison Barnes' $18 million, are two players the Kings could trade that would open up enough space. However, their contracts are likely too expensive for the Bulls
The Kings and Bulls would need to find a third team willing to take the majority of either Huerter or Barnes' contract, while likely sending out a smaller salary to Chicago.
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Earlier this week, the Golden State Warriors executed a sign-and-trade of Klay Thompson to the Dallas Mavericks, receiving a couple of second-round picks as compensation. The Kings would likely need to send something similar to Chicago as part of the deal.
DeRozan would bring a wealth of veteran experience to Sacramento, along with an elite scoring skillset, and another reliable go-to scoring option next to De'Aaron Fox. DeRozan has made a career out of his elite mid-range scoring ability, shooting 43% from the mid-range and 65% at the rim this past season in Chicago. The soon-to-be 35-year-old averaged 24 points, four rebounds and five assists in 79 games for the Bulls last season.
Sacramento has been hunting for a significant upgrade to their starting lineup this offseason, including names like Brandon Ingram, Lauri Markkanen, and Kyle Kuzma. DeRozan will be the oldest of that group but would provide a significant boost to the Kings' chances of getting back to the playoffs while allowing general manager Monte McNair to maintain control of future draft assets for more potential moves in the future.
Things can move quickly. Woj believes that Sacramento "is the team to watch as the moratorium ends between now and over the next 48 hours".
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Stay tuned to ABC10 for updates.
