DeMar DeRozan Waived by Kings — Free Agency Suitors Line Up
- Jul 25
- 4 min read
The Sacramento Kings have officially closed the book on the DeMar DeRozan era, waiving the six-time All-Star and the remainder of his expiring contract in one of the most consequential moves of the NBA offseason. The decision instantly makes DeRozan one of the best available players on the free agent market, and it sets up a fascinating stretch of the summer as contenders line up to add a proven 20-point scorer who has spent his entire career defying predictions about his decline.
For Sacramento, the move was less about basketball and more about the balance sheet. General manager Scott Perry described the waiver as a financial decision for a rebuilding franchise that needed to shed salary. Only $10 million of DeRozan's $25.7 million salary for the upcoming season was guaranteed, and by moving on now, the Kings gain meaningful flexibility. Sacramento can also stretch that remaining $10 million over three seasons — a decision the front office has until the end of August to make — which would push the franchise below both luxury tax aprons and open up additional roster-building tools.
The Kings had explored trade options for DeRozan for months, but a workable deal never materialized. Rival front offices knew Sacramento was pivoting toward a youth movement, and with the veteran forward on an expiring deal, there was little incentive for teams to surrender real assets when they could simply wait for a buyout or waiver. In the end, that is exactly how it played out.
DeRozan arrived in Sacramento in July 2024 on a three-year, $74 million deal as the centerpiece of a three-team sign-and-trade that was supposed to vault the Kings back into the Western Conference playoff picture. On an individual level, he held up his end of the bargain. Across two seasons with the Kings, DeRozan averaged 20.3 points, 4.3 assists and 3.4 rebounds while shooting 48.6% from the field and a respectable 32.5% from three-point range. The mid-range maestro remained one of the league's most reliable closers and foul-drawers, even as he moved into his mid-30s.
The problem was never DeRozan's production — it was the fit. Sacramento's experiment pairing him with its existing core never translated into playoff success, and as the losses piled up, the front office concluded that the roster needed a teardown rather than another retooling around aging stars. Once the Kings committed to a rebuild, keeping a 36-year-old scorer on a $25 million salary no longer made sense for either side.
Now the intrigue shifts to where DeRozan goes next. Because he was waived rather than traded, he will clear waivers and become an unrestricted free agent, free to sign with any team for any amount. For a player of his caliber, the expectation around the league is that he will prioritize winning over one final payday, likely signing with a legitimate contender at a discount rate.
The early frontrunners are familiar names. The Los Angeles Clippers have been repeatedly linked to DeRozan, and the fit is obvious: he is a Los Angeles native, the Clippers have long coveted his shot creation, and their halfcourt offense could use another proven bucket-getter who thrives late in close games. The Miami Heat have also emerged as a serious suitor, with Pat Riley's franchise perpetually hunting for veteran star power and a culture that DeRozan's legendary work ethic would slot into seamlessly.
There is also a broader market dynamic at play. This has been one of the wildest NBA offseasons in recent memory, with superstar movement dominating headlines and several contenders still holding open roster spots and mid-level exceptions. Any team that misses out on bigger fish could quickly pivot to DeRozan, who represents arguably the best value proposition left on the board: an All-Star-level scorer available for a fraction of his previous salary.
The skeptics will point to the familiar concerns. DeRozan is entering his age-37 season, he has never been a high-volume three-point shooter in an era that demands spacing, and his defensive limitations have been magnified in past playoff runs. Teams signing him are betting on his mid-range mastery, elite free-throw generation and iron-man durability — he has famously missed very few games throughout his career — outweighing those flaws in a targeted playoff role.
But DeRozan has spent nearly two decades proving doubters wrong. Written off after Toronto traded him in 2018, he reinvented himself in San Antonio as a playmaker, then earned MVP votes in Chicago with back-to-back All-NBA-caliber seasons. Even in Sacramento's dysfunction, his production barely dipped. A motivated DeRozan joining a ready-made contender on a value contract is precisely the kind of move that has swung recent championship races.
For the Kings, the waiver marks the definitive start of a new chapter. Sacramento's front office has spent the summer accumulating young talent and draft capital, and clearing DeRozan's salary was the final domino in that pivot. Kings fans may not love watching another star walk out the door, but the franchise's direction is at least unambiguous now.
The next few weeks will determine the final shape of this story. Wherever DeMar DeRozan signs, he will arrive with something to prove — and the teams that pass on him may end up seeing that trademark mid-range fadeaway in a playoff series soon enough. For a June-tested veteran chasing his first ring, the destination decision may be the most important of his career.
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