DeMar DeRozan isn’t just an average player; he is an elite scorer who can still get it done. With an impressive 47.7% field-goal percentage on a variety of buckets, including patented mid-range jumpers, DeRozan has been the league’s busiest craftsman of slow-burn scoring. Now, he’s headed to the Los Angeles Clippers, and Tyronn Lue is about to get a masterclass in boot-cut bucket-making.
DeRozan dropped 22.2 PPG on 47.7% FG in 77 games this season, with more mid-range attempts than 14 entire teams combined. No doubt, acquiring him would be a high-voltage energy infusion for a squad that’s long needed someone to orchestrate flow, fire in mid-range, and ice closes.
Of course, this is no simple one-for-one switcheroo. This four-team deal shuffles pieces, picks, and personalities like a high-stakes power move. This deal also involves All-Star-caliber scorer Zach LaVine, who posted 23.3 PPG on 51.1% from the field this season. The Charlotte Hornets, Sacramento Kings, and Washington Wizards will also be involved, and each gains an asset(s) they truly need. Let’s dive into this 4-team mega-deal from start to finish.
Proposed Trade Details
Los Angeles Clippers Receive: DeMar DeRozan
Charlotte Hornets Receive: Zach LaVine, Richaun Holmes
Washington Wizards Receive: Miles Bridges
Sacramento Kings Receive: Jusuf Nurkic, Bogdan Bogdanovic, Josh Okogie, Saddiq Bey, Drew Eubanks, 2027 second-round pick (CHO), 2030 first-round pick (CHO), 2031 first-round pick (LAC), 2031 second-round pick (LAC)
Los Angeles Clippers Re-Group With New Big Five
The Clippers can add a finishing touch to their starting five: DeMar DeRozan’s mid-range wizardry. DeRozan is a pure scoring maestro, and his shot selection defies the three-point fixation, giving L.A. a new weapon for driving and post-ups surrounded by shooters.
His numbers speak louder than buzzwords. In the last two seasons, he’s averaged 23.1 PPG on 47.8% FG, while keeping incredible durability, missing just 8 games over those seasons. He’s the definition of plug-and-play: seasoned, effective, and ready to elevate without missing a beat. On a Clippers squad craving mid-range feel and gritty scoring, DeRozan brings a dimension they’ve long lacked.
The chemistry could be electric. Paired with Kawhi Leonard, James Harden, Norman Powell, and Ivica Zubac, DeRozan becomes the engine in L.A.’s “New Big Five”, a force that blends vintage mid-range, lockdown two-way play, and lethal spacing. Ty Lue will certainly love trotting out five scorers in one lineup.
Charlotte Hornets Find Scoring Help For LaMelo Ball
Charlotte lands Zach LaVine and Richaun Holmes to supply LaMelo Ball with reliable scoring and spacing. LaVine brings explosive firepower, averaging 23.3 PPG with 44.6% from three in 74 games this season. He’s capable of torching any defense, just ask the Kings, when he erupted for 42 points, including eight threes in a rout against Charlotte.
Holmes chips in as a high-energy interior force, protecting the rim, switching onto guards, and knocking down pick-and-pop jumpers. He’ll fill LaMelo’s lineup with gritty defense and efficiency inside, making the Hornets a lot harder to guard in transition or in the half-court. This isn’t just scoring, it’s roster gravity.
LaMelo was a revelation this season (50-point game, second-fastest player to reach 600 made threes behind Duncan Robinson), but Charlotte lacked veteran options that fit his style. Now, LaVine brings sharpshooting gravity, Holmes brings paint toughness, and LaMelo gets the freedom to orchestrate. Suddenly, this offense is less solo act and more scoring juggernaut.
Washington Wizards Continue Their Rebuild With New Asset
Washington grabs Miles Bridges, an athletic wing defender with breakout potency. Bridges averaged 20.3 PPG on 43.1% shooting in a scorer’s role, and logged 31.7 minutes per game. He’s raw, young, and ready to develop, helping elevate the Wizards’ nationally watched rebuild.
Coupling Bridges with their young core, Alex Sarr, Bub Carrington, and Bilal Coulibaly, gives this front office a cornerstone on the wing, capable of guarding multiple positions and generating his own offense. The Wizards might also look to move Jordan Poole for more assets, depending on what they will need moving forward.
This trade signals patience and direction: build through youth, on-court development, and high-ceiling athletic wings. Bridges isn’t a finished product, but that’s exactly what rebuild assets should be: raw, coachable, and ready to grow into something more.
Sacramento Kings Gain Four Important Picks While Moving Veterans
Sacramento flips veteran pieces, Nurkic, Bogdanovic, Okogie, Bey, for serious draft capital and future flexibility. The haul: a 2027 second-round pick (CHO), 2030 first-round (CHO), and both 2031 first & second-rounders (LAC). That’s four future tickets to restock the cupboard.
Nurkic, though a steady 8.9 PPG/7.8 RPG guy on $19.4M, lacked upside for a team banking on youth. Bogdanovic fills a veteran short-term role, but Sacramento is clearly hedging toward timeline flexibility and draft-ready rebuilding. This deal opens up minutes, cap, and headroom to chase a bigger prize.
For a team that missed the play-ins and was forced into a De’Aaron Fox trade, hoarding high-upside picks is pure gold. Whether they package them for a future star or reload via the draft, the Kings lean hard into strategic patience, letting flexibility and youth lead the way forward.
