DeMar DeRozan’s first games against the Sacramento Kings won’t carry the kind of edge people might expect.
That’s partly because his time in Sacramento never turned into the kind of marquee run the franchise hoped for, and partly because there doesn’t appear to be any real bitterness left behind. DeRozan arrived in July 2024 as part of a three-team sign-and-trade deal, joining the Kings after missing the “Beam Team Era” by a season. He landed in Sactown just as the roster and organization started shifting around him.
The upheaval came fast. Mike Brown was fired in December 2024 and replaced by Doug Christie.
De’Aaron Fox then left in February 2025, and Monte McNair exited as general manager in April 2025 before Scott Perry took over. Add in the pile of injuries the roster absorbed last season, and it was a messy stretch all around.
DeRozan wasn’t perfect, but he was one of the few players the Kings could count on with any regularity.
After 2025-2026, Sacramento waived DeRozan and stretched his contract over the next couple of seasons, which made him an unrestricted free agent. That opened the door for him to sign with the Nuggets, where he now gets to play alongside Nikola Jokic.
The Kings and Nuggets are scheduled to meet three times this season, unless the NBA Cup schedule adds another game. As things stand, all three matchups are set for the new year, with one in Denver and two at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento.
There’s no sign those games will be especially tense. DeRozan’s stint in Sacramento was rough, but the source of that roughness was fit, not friction. This isn’t a Dario Saric situation, and there’s no indication of hard feelings between DeRozan and the organization.
If anything, Kings fans may have reason to give him a decent reception. He brought effort every night, even when last season got brutal, and there’s a case to be made that Golden 1 Center should welcome him warmly when he comes back.
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Kings Have One Chance To Shut Down This Brutal National Take
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Ben Simmons is the other addition that could change the conversation. Sacramento signed the two-time All-Defensive First Team selection with the hope that his presence can steady a unit that has drawn heavy criticism, and if he settles in quickly, the Kings may have a chance to answer the national doubt with something more convincing than projection. For a team that keeps getting pegged near the bottom, that kind of defensive lift could become the difference between another harsh take and a season that looks a lot tougher to dismiss. [Read more 🡒]