At 36, with 26,711 career points, DeMar DeRozan is not finished with the NBA. The Sacramento Kings are simply finished with this version of the experiment.
Sacramento has waived the 6-time All-Star, putting one of the league’s most decorated active scorers back into free agency after a brief and disappointing run with the franchise. DeRozan still produced last season, averaging 18.4 points, 2.9 rebounds and 4.1 assists in 77 games. He shot 49.7 percent from the field and remained a trusted half court option.
That is why this is not a simple decline story. It is a fit story. It is also a Sacramento failure story. The Kings finished 22 and 60, tied for the worst record in the Western Conference, missed the playoffs again and fell a long way from the team that had recently looked like one of the league’s sharper young builds.
Sacramento’s Bet Failed Fast
The DeRozan and Kings partnership never looked sturdy enough to survive a real collapse. Sacramento did not cut loose a player who forgot how to score. It cut loose a veteran scorer who no longer made sense inside a roster that had lost its shape.
The bigger issue is that Sacramento has been drifting between timelines. De’Aaron Fox left at the 2025 trade deadline, while Zach LaVine arrived from Chicago in the 3 team deal that sent Fox to San Antonio. That left the Kings trying to build around a strange mix of veterans and younger pieces, with Domantas Sabonis, LaVine, Keegan Murray and Malik Monk all needing clear roles.
DeRozan was not the cause of every Sacramento problem. He was a symbol of the confusion. A team that bad cannot afford to keep expensive veteran pieces simply because they still have name value.
Why The Fit Broke
DeRozan still has a lethal offensive package. He can get to his spots, punish smaller defenders, draw contact and settle messy possessions late in the clock. Front offices know exactly who he is at this stage: a midrange scorer who will not panic in the clutch, but who needs the game to bend toward his rhythm.
Modern playoff offenses do not always have that patience.
The 3 point number explains part of the issue. DeRozan shot 32.0 percent from deep last season, but the volume matters more than the percentage. He attempted only 1.9 threes per game. That means defenses did not have to treat him like a true floor spacer. Around Sabonis, LaVine and Sacramento’s guards, that cramped the math and made every lineup choice more complicated.
ESPN insider Shams Charania reported on X that the sides “worked collaboratively on this resolution after exploring trade routes,” a detail that makes the exit feel less like a messy divorce and more like a front office admitting it could not turn the fit into value. Sacramento looked for a deal first. When that did not land, the cleaner move was to let DeRozan reach free agency.
The Market Will Be Specific
On the open market, DeRozan represents a highly specialized asset. He is not a plug and play role player. He is not a spot up wing. Any team that signs him has to know what it is asking him to do before the deal is done.
The Clippers make sense as a theoretical landing spot because they have often valued veteran shot creation and would not need DeRozan to rescue a broken offense alone. The Knicks are more complicated, but the logic is easy to understand. A contender can always use one more scorer who can survive slow playoff possessions. Miami would be another natural name to watch, given its history of trusting experienced players with defined roles.
The Lakers are less clean as a fit. Their roster questions are already crowded, and DeRozan’s lack of 3 point volume would only matter more beside other ball dominant players. That is the point of this market. Reputation alone will not drive it. Teams will weigh his scoring against spacing, defense, pace and usage.
DeRozan Needs The Right Role Now
DeRozan does not need the biggest role. He needs the right one.
A contender should not sign him and ask him to be a 25 point nightly engine. That version of the plan belongs in the past. The smarter path is narrower: second unit control, selective closing minutes, late clock scoring and leadership in a locker room that already has its hierarchy settled.
That may require an adjustment from DeRozan too. He has spent most of his career as a featured scorer. His next team may ask him to accept fewer touches and more situational responsibility. If he embraces that, he can still swing games. If he wants the offense to orbit him, the list of logical fits shrinks fast.
Sacramento’s Reset Cannot Stop Here
For the Kings, waiving DeRozan only matters if it is the start of a clearer plan. One cut does not fix a 22 win team. Sacramento still has to decide what kind of roster it wants around Murray, Monk, Sabonis and LaVine. It also has to decide whether Sabonis remains part of the next build, or whether another major move is coming.
That is the real pressure point. DeRozan leaving clears the board a little, but it does not create direction by itself. Sacramento has to stop collecting pieces that look useful in isolation and start building a roster that actually fits.
For DeRozan, the next move will tell the league how he sees the final stretch of his career. The scoring is still real. The name still carries weight. Now the fit has to be sharper than the reputation.
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FAQs
Why did the Kings waive DeMar DeRozan?
The Kings moved on because the fit failed. DeRozan still scored, but Sacramento needed a clearer roster direction.
Is DeMar DeRozan still a good scorer?
Yes. He averaged 18.4 points and shot 49.7 percent from the field last season.
Which teams could fit DeMar DeRozan?
The Clippers, Knicks and Heat make sense as possible fits. Each would need to define his role before signing him.
Why is DeRozan’s three-point shooting an issue?
He shot 32.0 percent from deep, but the bigger issue was volume. He attempted only 1.9 threes per game.
What role does DeRozan need now?
He needs a smaller, sharper role. Late-clock scoring, second-unit control and selective closing minutes make the most sense.
