DeMar DeRozan Getting Mocked After Bold NBA Take

During an appearance on ESPN's "First Take," Sacramento Kings wing DeMar DeRozan was asked to give a bold prediction for the upcoming 2024-25 season, and he came up with exactly that.

“My boldest NBA take for the season: Kings, Western Conference Finals,” said DeRozan, who has every right to believe that his new team will have success in the coming 2024-25 campaign.

Free agent DeRozan ended his engagement with the Chicago Bulls when the Sacramento Kings acquired him via a three-year, $74 million sign-and-trade. It was part of a three-way deal between the Kings, Bulls and San Antonio Spurs.

The Kings have made the NBA Playoffs just once since 2006. However, that lone postseason appearance happened not too long ago, as they ended an incredibly long playoff drought in 2023. That was also when the Kings were ousted in the first round by the Golden State Warriors after a testy seven-round series.

Sacramento failed to build on the momentum it got from that season, as the Kings missed the boat to the 2024 NBA playoffs after losing to the New Orleans Pelicans in the play-in tournament.

DeRozan’s take did not sit well with a lot of NBA fans online, though.

“I got bad news,” said X (formerly Twitter) user @CookedByRiley0.

“Well to make the WCF, you gotta play some defense,” posted @statdefender.

“Vs the grizzlies. And grizz in 6,” shared @ClipNation74.

“Yea this brotha smoking,” commented @zexqew.

From @AidanLaPorta69: “Fact check: They aren’t making it”

Nevertheless, the Kings have a group that can take them into a deep playoff run next season. With a proven playmaker in DeRozan getting added to a core that features De’Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis, Sacramento’s offensive firepower just got more potent.

In the 2023-24 regular season, the Kings were ninth in the NBA with 116.6 points per game. They were tied with the Brooklyn Nets at 20th-21st in the NBA in free-throw attempts per game (20.9). However, that should improve, as DeRozan was third in the league last season with a 27.5 percent free-throw rate among players who averaged at least 30 minutes per contest.

Related: DeMar DeRozan considered joining Clippers before choosing Kings