The Sacramento Kings are moving into a new era, and that means the veteran layer of the roster is getting peeled back. DeMar DeRozan has been waived, Russell Westbrook’s contract has expired, and neither player is expected to be part of the next Kings chapter.
For DeRozan, the market should be there. The Kings still owe him $10 million after waiving him, which makes a cheaper deal or veteran-minimum contract the most realistic path for the 36-year-old. That kind of flexibility only boosts his appeal for teams looking for scoring without a major financial hit.
ESPN’s Shams Charania reported that the Miami Heat, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Denver Nuggets are “among the teams” interested in DeRozan. Those are three contenders, and that’s the kind of company that tells you exactly where his value sits right now.
The fit is easy to see. DeRozan is still one of the league’s most dependable offensive players, and last season in Sacramento he put up 18.4 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 4.1 assists per game while shooting 49.7% from the field.
He has scored at least 16 points per game in 16 straight seasons and has only missed more than 14 games in a season three times. Even in a smaller role, he brings steady production every night.
Westbrook’s situation is much murkier. The 2016-17 NBA MVP remains a nine-time All-Star and a respected veteran presence, but he’s again searching for a team late in the process. That was the story last summer too, when he didn’t land anywhere until signing with Sacramento a week before the regular season.
This time, the Kings may not be an option. As NBA insider Jake Fischer said last week, "I really don't have a home for him right now.
I don't believe Sacramento wants him back. I don't think he wants to go back there.
I don't know where Russ could go at this point here."
The Heat had previously been mentioned as a possible landing spot for Westbrook, according to the New York Post’s Stefan Bondy, though that picture could have shifted since then. What’s clear is that his market remains unsettled.
On the floor, Westbrook still produced last season with 15.2 points, 5.4 rebounds, 6.7 assists, and 1.4 steals per game. Off the floor, he also drew praise from Sacramento’s younger players for the leadership he brought to the locker room. That combination makes his free-agent limbo even more surprising.
Kings general manager Scott Perry suggested that Westbrook is looking for more than a veteran minimum, and that could be the sticking point. Even so, he had trouble landing a deal at that level last season, and he may be headed for another wait before finding his next home.
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Zach LaVines Sacramento future has become one of the more interesting decisions facing the Kings this summer, with the conversation no longer centered just on what he can do on the floor but on how long he might stay in the building. The relationship piece matters here, too: LaVine has reportedly built a positive connection with rookie Darius Acuff Jr. and has also gotten along well with the Kings front office, giving Sacramento at least some reason to believe the partnership could last beyond a short-term stop.
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These 3 Kings Role Players Could Decide Everything Next Season
With DeMar DeRozan waived and Russell Westbrook gone in free agency, Sacramento is heading into a different kind of season, one built less on star power than on how well the supporting cast holds together around Domantas Sabonis, Zach LaVine and rookie Darius Acuff Jr. The Kings have enough talent at the top to stay interesting, but the real question is whether the pieces around them can steady the rotation and give the offense some much-needed balance.
Malik Monk, De'Andre Hunter and Maxime Raynaud are the names that could swing that answer. Monk is in line for a bigger responsibility after an uneven year, Hunter brings another layer of wing help, and Raynaud has already shown enough to suggest he can be part of the long-term solution in the frontcourt. For a team trying to reset without taking a step backward, those role players may end up deciding whether Sacramento merely survives the transition or finds a cleaner path forward. [Read more 🡒]