Almost five years have passed since the San Antonio Spurs traded DeMar DeRozan in a sign-and-trade deal, marking the dawn of a new era for the franchise. Today, the Spurs' future shines brighter than most teams in the NBA, while DeRozan's career seems to be winding down.
This season, the Sacramento Kings have struggled mightily, finding themselves at the bottom of the league standings. Unfortunately for DeRozan, his journey has mirrored the Kings' challenges. After a couple of exciting seasons with the Chicago Bulls, his fortunes have taken a downturn since leaving San Antonio.
For the Spurs, however, the narrative is entirely different.
The DeRozan trade signaled a fresh start for San Antonio. The team embraced a rebuild, and the timing couldn't have been more perfect. After a tough season, their efforts were rewarded with the acquisition of one of the most promising NBA prospects in history: Victor Wembanyama.
Wembanyama has not only lived up to expectations but has also shown the potential to become one of the best players globally. In fact, he might already be in that conversation.
His presence has propelled the Spurs to the second-best record in the Western Conference this season, alongside talents like De’Aaron Fox, Dylan Harper, and Stephon Castle. It's been an impressive campaign.
Fox's arrival in San Antonio was partly facilitated by a first-round pick obtained from the Bulls in the DeRozan trade. In an interesting twist, that pick eventually returned to Chicago in a three-team deal that saw Zach LaVine join DeRozan in Sacramento.
DeRozan's initial year with the Bulls was filled with promise. The team was competitive and made it to the playoffs, only to fall to the Milwaukee Bucks in the first round. They seemed just a healthy Lonzo Ball away from achieving more.
Since then, DeRozan has struggled to return to the postseason, with each of his teams facing significant challenges. Meanwhile, the Spurs have positioned themselves as one of the league's most promising franchises.