DeMar DeRozan will be a crucial piece for the Sacramento Kings as they look to advance up the standings in an ultra-competitive Western Conference. DeRozan appeared on Paul George’s ‘Podcast P’ and revealed that he had multiple teams interested in his services, naming the teams he legitimately considered joining.
“Philly definitely was an option. The Lakers were an option always. Clippers were an option. And the Heat was an option too. Those teams, for sure, were real personal, legitimate options that I was considering.”
DeMar DeRozan says he seriously considered the LA Clippers in free agency this summer.
“Philly definitely was an option. Lakers was an option always. Clippers was an option. And the Heat… Those teams, for sure, were real personal, legitimate options that I was considering.” pic.twitter.com/JGAYusWGM5
— Tomer Azarly (@TomerAzarly) September 9, 2024
DeRozan would open up on why the Kings were the right destination for him as he joins their project with the hopes of leading them to Playoff success within the next few seasons.
“I was just looking for an opportunity to win at a high level wherever that was going to be. Sacramento] came about, and they were showing interest, like real interest. When I sat back and looked at it, and analyzed the team. Great players. Great coach. I just always remember the last couple of years of always seeing them light this damn beam and winning and all that.”
“For sure got a movement. That’s definitely one thing you always want to be a part of is a contagious culture of an organization that wants to win. When I looked at all that, I just felt like it fit.”
DeRozan signed a three-year, $74 million deal to join the Kings this summer, being sent to the franchise as part of a sign-and-trade that sent Harrison Barnes to the San Antonio Spurs and Chris Duarte to the Chicago Bulls.
This was a major move by the Kings to push themselves into the top six of the Western Conference after they missed the postseason last year. He averaged 24.0 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 5.3 assists last season, coming off three consecutive All-Star appearances from his three years on the Bulls.
Domantas Sabonis Broke Down How DeRozan Will Impact The Team
The excitement for DeRozan in Sacramento is palpable, as this is arguably one of the biggest free-agent signings the franchise has ever made. New teammate Domantas Sabonis has already discussed DeRozan joining them in great detail, looking forward to playing with a Hall of Fame level talent like DeRozan.
“I think it’s going to be good for us. It’s going to make us think differently on the court, move differently, and really read each other. We are used to playing one style, but he does something at a Hall of Fame level that we’re going to have to play around and it’s going to make it so much harder for teams to guard us… We can basically score from anywhere.”
The Kings’ offense has been one of the best in the Western Conference for the last few seasons, with DeRozan making that an even deadlier concept. They can outscore virtually any team in the NBA right now, but they also need to figure out how to be more solid defensively given DeRozan’s deficiencies on that end.
There are more moves the Kings could make to boost their winning chances, but the DeRozan acquisition in itself shows that they’re pushing for success like they haven’t in the last two decades.
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