After a lot of buzz around the Chicago Bulls forward DeMar DeRozan’s potential landing spots during his free agency period, he has finally gone on for a championship run with the Sacramento Kings. The 35-year-old veteran has signed a $75 million three-year deal with the Kings. It was a sign-and-trade agreement between the Kings, San Antonio Spurs, and the Bulls. The Spurs got Harrison Barnes, while the Bulls got two second-round picks, Chris Duarte, along with the cash. With this multi-team trade, DeRozan has joined the Clutch Player of the 2023, De’Aaron Fox.

DeRozan is himself a shot creator in the midrange with his lethal 29.6% career three-point shooting. On top of that, the Kings’ offense will receive a boost from Fox’s end, with his scoring capability. However, as per senior reporter Sam Quinn, DeRozan is not that great an asset for the Kings. “I have some questions about the fit here if I were going to invest this kind of money… my inclination would have been we should be pronbbaly targeting somebody who is a little bit more inclined towards defense you know,” Quinn said on CBS Sports, 

The senior CBS reporter also busted on how DeRozan’s presence might suppress the overall performance due to the same skill set of Fox and the 34-year-old small forward. “They were already set on perimeter players who could score but maybe not defend very well. DeMar doesn’t shoot threes; he is primarily an on-ball player. De’Aaron Fox is somebody who’s at his best with the ball in his hands as well,” Quinn pointed out where the Kings have missed out this offseason.

Notably, the Kings had a 115.2 defensive rating last season, which is their loss on record. So Sam did give some important realty checks there. Overall, DeRozan’s presence might not upgrade what the Kings have been lacking this whole time. Contrarily, it might disbalance their offense.  However, it seems that Fox himself was also present at the discussion table while the front office was discussing acquiring DeRozan on their roster.

Is De’Aaron Fox himself responsible for contributing to DeMar DeRozan’s recruitment amid performance concerns?

The 6’6 DeMar DeRozan is not someone with great shooting percentages on the three-point line. He has been closer to the small forward position for the last five years. Moreover, his career defensive rating in the league is 111.7, which is not that great, as the Sacramento Kings need some solid guards on the other side of the basket. Also, given the fact that DeRozan is 35 now, his athleticism and ability to play on both sides will come into question next season. However, his acquistion might have got the support of Fox.

As per NBA insider Chris Haynes, Fox played a pivotal role by joining the meeting to help recruit DeRozan. Now, the point guard and small forward for the Kings are quite excited to play alongside each other on the court. Time will tell what luck has in store for the Kings. While Fox might have influenced DeRozan’s entry, if it goes south, it will come down to the whole team and the organization.

The Western Conference is full of bigwigs like the Nuggets, Thunder, Mavericks, and Timberwolves. All of these teams can blast on both ends of the floor. Till the time the Kings don’t find a solution for protecting their rim, scoring won’t help them much. Let us know your thoughts on the latest development on the Kings roster.

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