Kings Waiving 6-Time All-Star DeMar DeRozan Surprises Fans – “Did He Wave Back?”

DeMar DeRozan endured a frustrating two years with the Sacramento Kings even though he wanted to play his last years in his home state.

Kings Waiving 6-Time All-Star DeMar DeRozan Surprises Fans – “Did He Wave Back?”

DeMar DeRozan becomes a free agent (Image via FirstSportz)

When DeMar DeRozan decided to go back home to California, his idea was that he would find a team where he could thrive and eventually ride off into the sunset when it’s time to hang up his sneakers.

The only problem is that the Sacramento Kings have been anything but competitive. In the past several years, the franchise has been the epitome of disastrous runs. That was except for their run a few years ago, where they were seen as a threat to the Los Angeles Lakers.

With DeRozan coming in, the hope was that he would help the team take the next step. Then, when his former Chicago Bulls teammate Zach LaVine joined, it felt as if the two were going to take the Kings back into the playoffs.

However, even the addition of Russell Westbrook last season did not help matters, and the team eventually wound up again in a position to gain a lottery pick.

After this short two-year experiment, it seems both the 36-year-old and the franchise decided it was better to move ahead without each other. This was supposed to be the last year of the $73 million contract he signed with the Bulls back in 2024.

But now that he’s been waived, he will lose the 10 million dollars in guaranteed money that he was supposed to get this season. More importantly, it gives him the freedom to choose wherever he wants to go next.

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Fans troll the Kings after waiving DeMar DeRozan

There were rumors about this impending divorce over the past few days, and fans were basically not surprised that DeMar DeRozan and the Sacramento Kings wanted to part ways. But what gave fans something to laugh about was when they read that he was waived.

They wondered what the Kings thought of themselves that they would weigh a six-time All-Star such as DeRozan. Rather, it is possible that the guard waved them off after the miserable run. Check out examples of these reactions below.

There is no doubt that DeMar DeRozan has been on the decline over the past few years. But even then, basketball fans pointed out that he’s still one of the most efficient mid-range shooters in the league. Even if he joins a contender, he will be one of the primary scorers for them.

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DeMar DeRozan will have options in free agency

The Sacramento Kings will most probably stretch the remainder of his salary over the next three years, as that will help them get under both the Aprons.

DeMar DeRozan and the Kings have been miserable
DeMar DeRozan and the Kings have been miserable (Image via NBA Central/X)

But for the Compton native, it gives him a chance to explore his options in free agency. DeMar DeRozan may not have as many options as another free agent in LeBron James, but he will still likely command some interest from a contender looking for some additional scoring help.

There is no doubt that the guard has a tendency to hog the ball. If his next team can fine-tune the offense and ask him to accept a role similar to what James did last season with the Lakers, they should be fine.

He should be able to find another job before he thinks of even retiring. The USC Trojan is not a high-maintenance superstar, as some others in the league are.

Therefore, it should not be difficult to convince him to take a lesser role for the greater good. After all, he still regrets not being part of the 2019 championship-winning Toronto Raptors team.

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