By Shams Charania, Lukas Weese, Darnell Mayberry and Kelly Iko
Six-time All-Star DeMar DeRozan is finalizing a three-year, $76 million deal with the Sacramento Kings in a sign-and-trade, according to league sources.
The Kings are sending Harrison Barnes and a 2031 unprotected pick swap to the San Antonio Spurs, while Chris Duarte and two second-round picks are going to the Chicago Bulls, per league sources.
DeRozan, 34, becomes the most accomplished free-agent commitment for the Kings in Sacramento after spending the last three seasons with the Bulls.
Here’s how the DeMar DeRozan signing is currently going over in Sacramento: Crowd just spotted Monte McNair before a summer league game and started a ‘Monte! Monte!’ chant pic.twitter.com/1EAQS92PGm
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) July 7, 2024
In 2023-24, DeRozan averaged 24.0 points, 4.3 rebounds and 5.3 assists per game on 48 percent shooting from the floor. He finished this season as the NBA’s minutes leader after playing 44 minutes in the Bulls’ 120-119 overtime loss at New York on the final day of the regular season. DeRozan logged 2,988 total minutes, the third most of his career and his most since the 2013-14 season.
DeRozan became the first player since LeBron James (33) in 2018 to lead the league in minutes in his 30s. Before that, Elvin Hayes (31) in 1976-77 was the last player to lead the NBA in minutes in his 30s. DeRozan’s minutes also were the most since Bradley Beal who finished with 3,028 in 2018-19.
DeMar DeRozan just walked into Golden 1 Center with Kings owner Vivek Ranadive to a huge ovation pic.twitter.com/sUC8oY3TCo
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) July 7, 2024
The Kings finished ninth in the Western Conference in 2023-24 with a 46-36 record. Sacramento lost to the New Orleans Pelicans in the Play-In Tournament.
What Spurs are getting in Barnes
Barnes, who played the majority of his minutes at power forward last season (93 percent, per Cleaning the Glass) is a sneaky addition for a Spurs team that struggled with spacing around Victor Wembanyama. The veteran forward is coming off a bit of a down year in Sacramento, but still shot 38.7 percent from beyond the arc and at worst is an athletic, low-usage scoring option that takes care of the ball.
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The arrival of Barnes in conjunction with Chris Paul draws similarities to Houston’s 2023 offseason, adding veteran pieces around a young core in San Antonio that should have a much better 2024-25 campaign. Coach Gregg Popovich now has experience and leadership in a locker room that sorely lacked it last year. The Spurs continue to have an efficient, under-the-radar offseason. — Kelly Iko, NBA staff writer
Required reading
(Photo: Melissa Tamez / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)