After a week of being in limbo, DeMar DeRozan has finally found a home.
NBA Trade Grades: Who Won the 3-Team DeMar DeRozan Sign-and-Trade? What’s Next for Each Squad
The Chicago Bulls sent DeRozan to the Sacramento Kings in a three-team sign-and-trade late last night. Harrison Barnes heads to San Antonio while Chris Duarte, two second-round selections, and cash go to Chicago. The Spurs also have the right to swap picks with the Kings in 2031.
Sacramento signed DeRozan to a three-year, $76 million deal, according to Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report and TNT. The first two years and $59 million are fully guaranteed, while the third year is partially guaranteed.
Sacramento Kings Trade Grade: B+
DeRozan immediately gives the Kings a third star, along with De’AaronFox and Domantas Sabonis. Kevin Huerter and Keegan Murray are the Kings’ other starters.
Sacramento has three players who can score 20 points a night, so expect the Kings to be one of the highest-scoring teams in the league, like when they led the league in 2022-23. The Kings also have Malik Monk, Keon Ellis, and Jalen McDaniels off the bench.
Monk is one of the top sixth men in the game. Ellis averaged 8.8 points in 21 starts, though he scored in double figures in seven of his last 15 starts. While McDaniels struggled last season, he averaged nearly 10 points a game in 2022-23.
While DeRozan is a better player than Barnes, he doesn’t provide the 3-point shooting that Barnes did. Also, DeRozan is older and more expensive than Barnes. However, the Kings probably hope that Murray can take another step in his development.
Sacramento has 12 players under contract, and their salaries total $163.6 million after inking backup point guard Jordan McLaughlin to a one-year deal, per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. The Kings are $7.1 million below the tax line, though first-round selection Devin Carter will get $4.6 million.
The Kings need to sign at least one more standard contract and will likely ink them to a minimum deal if they want to remain below the tax. They could use another big, either a four or five.
Sacramento has filled all three two-way spots: center Isaac Jones, guard Isaiah Crawford and guard Mason Jones.
Chicago Bulls – C
The Bulls knew they had no shot at retaining DeRozan after trading Alex Caruso to Oklahoma City, as he had said so himself. Not sure, Chicago wanted DeRozan back due to his age and cost.
Duarte is coming off a second straight disappointing season after a solid 2021-22 rookie campaign. The 27-year-old wing averaged 3.9 points and 1.7 rebounds with shooting splits of 38.1/34.8/78.8%. He is on a $5.8 million expiring contract.
The two second-round picks that Chicago will receive are unknown.
Chicago now has 15 players on standard contracts with allocations totaling $165.9 million. The Bulls have two of their two-way spots filled with Andrew Funk and Adama Sanogo.
However, the Bulls may still make some moves. Zach LaVine has been on the trade market for over a year, while Lonzo Ball and Nikola Vucevic could also be traded.
San Antonio Spurs – A
San Antonio gets a veteran sharpshooter just for using its cap room. Barnes saw a reduced role last year, and as a result, his numbers dropped across the board.
Barnes averaged 12.2 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 1.2 assists last season, his least productive campaign in years. Still, he drained 1.8 3-pointers at a 38.7% clip. He will make $18 million this season and $19 million next.
Barnes and Chris Paul give the Spurs two savvy veterans they didn’t have last year. Barnes will likely see plenty of playing time and could start alongside Victor Wembanyama in the frontcourt or at small forward.
The Spurs have 14 players on standard contracts with allocations totaling $154.6 million. The Spurs could add another power forward. They also have filled two of their two-way contracts.
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