DeMar DeRozan and Devin Carter are coming back to Golden 1 Center in very different uniforms, and both returns trace back to the same hard truth in Sacramento: the Kings chose financial flexibility over keeping them around.
That reset has already reshaped the roster. Sacramento was staring at a bill north of $200 million for next season, a number that belongs to teams built to chase a title.
The Kings, coming off back-to-back losing seasons, were nowhere near that level. General manager Scott Perry made it clear this offseason that the plan was to get younger and create room to maneuver.
Carter was the first move. Sacramento sent the former lottery pick to the Atlanta Hawks to clear his remaining $12.5 million.
DeRozan’s exit came later, after Perry explored trade options and came up empty. The Kings eventually waived the 17-year veteran, pushing him into unrestricted free agency.
He spent more than a month in limbo before landing with the Denver Nuggets on a one-year deal after a sign-and-trade that sent Peyton Watson to the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Now both players are set to visit their old home floor with new teams. DeRozan will be back at Golden 1 Center on March 8 and March 29, with the three Sacramento-Denver games backloaded in 2027.
Carter’s return comes sooner, on Valentine’s Day, Feb. 14.
DeRozan’s Sacramento run lasted two seasons, and he was as steady as they come. He started 154 games and put up 20.3 points, 3.4 rebounds and 4.25 assists per game. When the Kings were stumbling, he was often the one expected to steady the ship.
That role mattered even more with injuries hammering the roster over the last two seasons. Zach LaVine, Domantas Sabonis, Keegan Murray and Malik Monk all missed significant time, and Sacramento leaned on DeRozan’s consistency through those stretches.
But reliability wasn’t enough to save him. Only $10 million of his $25.7 million was guaranteed before January, and the Kings wanted the extra cap space.
Carter’s departure came even faster, which says plenty about how aggressively Sacramento is trying to rework its future. The Kings selected him 13th overall in 2024, but injuries limited him to 74 games over two seasons. Still, he flashed late last season, scoring more than 11 points per game for three straight months and even leading the team in scoring on some nights.
For Sacramento, the message was clear. For DeRozan and Carter, the next chapter begins back where their Kings stories ended, in a building now trying to find its way again.
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Three Kings Storylines Could Decide How Far Sacramento Really Goes
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Zach LaVines future with the Kings adds another layer, since he has opted into his contract but still arrives with questions about where he fits best. And then there is rookie Darius Acuff Jr., whose development could end up mattering sooner than expected if Sacramento needs another jolt of young talent. Those three threads do not just shape the depth chart, they help define whether the Kings are merely competitive or good enough to make a real push when the pressure rises. [Read more 🡒]