Kings emerge as frontrunners in DeMar DeRozan sweepstakes

A favorite has seemingly emerged for DeMar DeRozan.

The Kings have been in discussions with the Bulls to acquire DeRozan via a sign and trade, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported on Friday .

“I think Sacramento right now is the team to watch,” Wojnarowski said on ESPN.

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DeRozan, 34, is a free agent, and it appears his days in Chicago are done.

He played the past three seasons with the Bulls, averaging 24.0 points and 5.3 assists per game last year.

The deal would likely require a third team, per the report, due to the Bulls’ unwillingness to take in large contracts in return.

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The team’s new vice president of basketball operations, Arturas Karnisovas, has looked to make the Bulls younger this offseason.

“Everything is on the table,” Karnisovas said during the 2024 NBA Draft about DeRozan’s future with the team.

Karnisovas brought back 22-year-old Patrick Williams on a five-year, $90 million deal, traded 30-year-old veteran Alex Caruso to the Thunder for 21-year-old Josh Giddey and drafted 19-year-old Matas Buzelis with the No. 11 pick.

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And 29-year-old Zach Lavine, DeRozan’s co-star and the Bulls’ second-leading scorer last year at 19.5 points per game, has an uncertain future with the team as well.

A year after earning the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference and losing in seven games to the Warriors in the first round of the playoffs, the Kings regressed and were eliminated by the Pelicans in the Play-In Tournament last year.

DeRozan could help provide a veteran and dependable scorer to a core made up of De’Aaron Fox, Domantas Sabonis, Malik Monk and Keegan Murray.

The Kings earlier this offseason brought back Monk on a four-year, $78 million deal.

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