Kings’ Blockbuster Trade Seen as ‘Bad Move’ by NBA Analyst

The Sacramento Kings made a splash in free agency in 2024 by completing a sign-and-trade deal for winger DeMar DeRozan from the Chicago Bulls.

DeRozan is a six-time All-Star who brings valuable experience to the Kings locker room. Despite DeRozan’s long list of accolades and statistics, one NBA analyst thinks this deal will backfire on Sacramento.

Bleacher Reports’ Grant Hughes sees DeRozan as a poor fit for the Kings heading into the 2024-25 NBA season. Despite saying the move is an “affordable talent upgrade,” Hughes doesn’t think DeRozan will provide much value off the ball.

But building a cohesive team isn’t as simple as adding up players’ points per game. DeRozan, a notoriously low-volume three-point shooter, won’t provide much off-ball value. And when the rock is in his hands, Fox and Sabonis can’t work their two-man magic in the pick-and-roll. DeRozan’s presence also weakens a weak defense.

– Grant Hughes, B/R

While DeRozan isn’t the strongest defender, it’s hard to argue that Harrison Barnes was better in Sacramento. Each of Barnes’ worst defensive ratings of his career came during his time with the Kings.

The last time DeRozan finished with a worse defensive rating than Barnes was in the 2015-16 season, almost a decade ago. DeRozan’s impact should be felt more on the offensive end, an area of ​​the court where he’s averaged 20+ ppg over the past 11 seasons.

Another point Hughes raised is DeRozan’s age, a factor that could come into play as early as this year. At 35, DeRozan could be in for a down year.

Decline should be the expectation. This is a perfect “sly” bad move to start with, because so many aspects of it are objectively good. You have to look in the dark corners and get a little pessimistic to find the downsides.

– Grant Hughes, B/R

Hughes’ opinion ignores DeRozan’s numbers in the latter stages of his career. Three of his four highest-scoring years have come in the last four seasons. Furthermore, his three-point shooting has steadily increased during his time in the association.

Everyone can have doubts about the Kings’ front office, but general manager Monte McNair made the move for a reason. Three star players are better than two, and the Kings may have found the final piece of a years-long rebuild.

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