The Sacramento Kings are in for a busy offseason after another disappointing year reaches its end. Sacramento\u2019s season has been marred by injuries, but it was clear that this Kings team wasn\u2019t going anywhere, even if they were healthy.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Unfortunately, there may not be many changes available to the Kings, as Zach LaVine and Domantas Sabonis are both on tough contracts to move<\/a>. That\u2019s why there\u2019s one player the Kings must move on from, and that is DeMar DeRozan.<\/p>\n Taken for Granted<\/p>\n DeRozan has been a consummate pro his entire career, and nothing has changed in Sacramento. It would have been so easy for a player who has won so much in his career to fall victim to the dysfunction, but DeRozan hasn\u2019t. He shows up and plays almost every single game, puts in effort, and keeps the team grounded when no one else can score. Fans have even been able to watch him climb into 17th on the NBA\u2019s all-time scoring list<\/a>.<\/p>\n Congrats to @DeMar_DeRozan<\/a> of the @SacramentoKings<\/a> for moving up to 17th on the all-time SCORING list! pic.twitter.com\/tmnWRO4L3f<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 NBA (@NBA) April 2, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n DeRozan will always be remembered as one of the best midrange scorers in the history of the game, but his style of play is becoming a thing of the past for a reason. Much to the chagrin of tenured NBA fans, the league is about pace and space now, and DeRozan\u2019s game is the antithesis of that.\u00a0<\/p>\n This doesn\u2019t mean that DeRozan isn\u2019t effective; being able to score 19 points per game on almost 50% from the field isn\u2019t something to dismiss, but it just isn\u2019t what Sacramento needs right now.\u00a0<\/p>\n Time to Pass the Torch<\/p>\n As great as it would be to find a place for DeRozan on this Kings team, someone needs to make room for the younger players. With Sabonis\u2019 contract coming in at over $45 million next season, Max Raynaud and Dylan Cardwell are likely guaranteed to start the season on the bench.\u00a0<\/p>\n While LaVine\u2019s prohibitive player option is going to make it really hard to find a suitor for him, moving DeRozan is another way to open up time for Nique Clifford. If the end of this season has proven anything, it\u2019s that Clifford and the other rookies need as many opportunities to play as possible.<\/p>\n NIQUE CLIFFORD POSTER \u2014<\/p>\n RISE UP. \ud83d\udd25<\/p>\n pic.twitter.com\/fP63rpa3FM<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) March 12, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n In March, Clifford started 11 of 12 games and averaged 12 points, 5.5 boards, and 4 assists per game while shooting 36% from three. The numbers may be modest, but you can see that Clifford is starting to get more and more comfortable each game. Sacramento has tried fitting Nique into the point guard role, which would make it much easier to get him on the court, but that isn\u2019t really who he is as a player.\u00a0<\/p>\n On top of the likely immovable players on the Kings\u2019 roster, they\u2019re going to be adding a high draft pick who will also need to be prioritized. Add in the possibility of two second-round picks, and the Kings will have a roster full of young players and not a lot of avenues to find minutes for them. Indeed, DeRozan\u2019s playstyle isn\u2019t conducive to a modern NBA team, but the bigger reason the Kings need to move him is that he may be the only veteran that is movable.\u00a0<\/p>\n The Grass is Always Greener<\/p>\n I know the phrase is meant to convey that longing for something different can be a fool’s errand, but for DeRozan, the grass really will be greener elsewhere. He may not be the same guy who could score 28 points per game and lead a team to the playoffs, but he can still be a useful scorer for a playoff team. Sacramento may not be getting a king\u2019s ransom for him, but his malleable contract opens up a lot of options.<\/p>\n DeMar DeRozan scores 9 clutch points against the Raptors, Prcecious Achiuwa lays in the final dagger (with replays)<\/p>\n Both DeRozan and Achiuwa finished with 28 points, each.<\/p>\n Also on YouTube:https:\/\/t.co\/4UpSuZKheO<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/KZzBQ8kcFd<\/a><\/p>\n