2 weeks Ago By Jason Anderson, The Sacramento Bee
SACRAMENTO —DeMar DeRozan and Domantas Sabonis are going into the offseason with some uncertainty about their respective futures with the Sacramento Kings. Both players have questions about the organization’s direction after a tumultuous season ended with a 120-106 loss to the Dallas Mavericks in an NBA play-in game Wednesday at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento. DeRozan didn’t mince words when asked which factors will be weighing on his mind this summer.
“Just the structure and a foundation of a compete level,” DeRozan said. “I think all year we had such an uncertainty of everything. You can’t really operate in any successful environment if you have so much uncertainty, so I think for me, just the uncertainty of what it’s going to be going forward.
” The Kings and general manager Monte McNair mutually agreed to part ways less than an hour after Wednesday’s loss to the Mavericks. The Kings finalized a deal to make longtime NBA executive Scott Perry their new general manager. Interim Kings coach Doug Christie is well positioned to keep his job, team sources told The Athletic, but Perry will have a voice in that decision.
Sabonis wants to know how the Kings plan to proceed under new leadership. “First of all, I want to say I love it here,” Sabonis said. “I want to stay here.
I want to win here. I also do want to know what’s going to happen. All these things are happening so quick.
I want to get together with the new people, whoever comes in, and really try to get this right and get it back to where it was before.” Sabonis, 28, is a three-time All-Star and two-time All-NBA selection who came to Sacramento in the February 2022 trade that sent Tyrese Haliburton to the Indiana Pacers. Sabonis has three years remaining on a four-year, $186 million contract.
He will earn $43.6 million next season, $46.7 million in 2026-27 and $49.
9 million in 2027-28. DeRozan, 35, is a six-time All-Star and three-time All-NBA selection who came to Sacramento last summer in a sign-and-trade deal. He has two years remaining on a three-year, $73.
9 million contract. He is owed $24.8 million next season and $25.
7 million in 2026-27. Trading either player could be tricky if DeRozan or Sabonis ask to be moved, but the Kings have been here before. They are only two months removed from the blockbuster deal that sent franchise cornerstone De’Aaron Fox to the San Antonio Spurs.
DeRozan, who will be going into his 17th season, wants an opportunity to win as he enters the final years of his career. He was clearly upset after the Kings bowed out in the first round of the play-in tournament. “It’s difficult.
It’s frustrating. It’s emotional. It’s everything,” DeRozan said.
“I can only speak for myself. I put so much time, effort, preparation, sacrifice into the game of basketball. As much as I care for it, as much as I live it, it’s hurtful when you just don’t give yourself an opportunity to play for what matters, to make it to the playoffs and give yourselves a chance.
“It’s a scary thing when you realize this is a summer for me to get ready for my 17th season. Some of my favorite players I grew up watching, you don’t even get close to that number. Going into that, the window closing, it ain’t like this job is like being a teacher or being a reporter where y’all can do this as long as you can.
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