DeRozan weighs uncertain future with Sacramento Kings as trade deadline nears
DeMar DeRozan wants another chance to compete for an NBA championship before his career comes to an end.
DeRozan has too much pride and professionalism to pout about his current situation with the Sacramento Kings, but he doesn’t dispute the notion that he would prefer a winning environment.
“For me, it’s not like I’m playing another 10 years, so you definitely want to maximize your time and give everything you’ve got left to playing for something,” DeRozan told The Sacramento Bee. “I don’t think that part of it is a secret whether it’s here or wherever.”
DeRozan knows his days in Sacramento could be numbered with the Feb. 5 NBA trade deadline less than two weeks away. He has been the subject of rampant trade rumors as general manager Scott Perry looks to reconstruct an aging and imbalanced roster that has failed to meet expectations after being crippled by injuries.
“It’s going to happen,” DeRozan said when asked how he feels about trade speculation. “When things ain’t going right, that’s what happens. When you’re not winning, that’s what happens. It just comes with the game. You’ve still got to go out there, do your job and compete. We’ve still got to separate that part of it, still have a love for the game and still go out there and compete.”
The Kings (12-35) have lost five in a row as they prepare to face the New York Knicks in the third game of a six-game road trip Tuesday at Madison Square Garden. They have the second-worst record in the Western Conference and the fourth-worst record in the NBA.
DeRozan, 36, a future Hall of Famer who is 25th on the NBA’s all-time scoring list, still has a lot to offer for a contending team. He is averaging 18.8 points, 4.3 rebounds and 4.1 assists while shooting 50.6% from the field and 35.1% from 3-point range.
DeRozan is earning $24.8 million in the second year of a three-year, $73.9 million contract. Only $10 million of his $25.7 million salary is guaranteed next season.
DeRozan finds himself weighing two sides of an uncertain future with the Kings, who acquired the six-time All-Star in a sign-and-trade deal with the Chicago Bulls in 2024. DeRozan came to Sacramento to help the Kings win, but things haven’t gone as planned.
Last season — DeRozan’s first in Sacramento — coach Mike Brown was fired, franchise player De’Aaron Fox was traded and general manager Monte McNair left the organization in a move described as a mutual parting of ways. Despite Sacramento’s struggles, DeRozan insists he won’t quit on the Kings no matter how difficult the situation gets.
“I think everybody understands you want to have an opportunity to compete, an opportunity to win, but you have to go about the situation the right way,” DeRozan said. “Granted, it’s tough right now. Nobody wishes to have this record we have, but I’ve always been the one to stick through the hard times. It’s always easy to say you want to be in a better situation, but you’ve got to deal with the cards that are dealt and make the best out of them.”
Kings coach Doug Christie admires and appreciates DeRozan’s professionalism.
“For Deebo, I’ve known him for a bit of time because my son played on his AAU team, so I got to know him just a little bit through his brother,” Christie said. “Obviously, once you get in on this side, you get to know people and you watch him work.
“I got to work with him a couple summers and just see his process, so, first of all, just seeing that is huge because you gain a respect for people who take their craft seriously, and he definitely does that. But then also to want to see this through is huge because he knows how I feel. He knows the passion that I have for turning this to what it’s supposed to be and wanting to be a part of that. Coming every day and bringing the right spirit, the right intention, the right aggressiveness, is really, really huge, so I have the utmost respect for what Deebo does.”
This story was originally published January 26, 2026 at 3:53 PM.
