DeRozan gives revealing one-word answer when asked why he picked Kings

DeRozan gives revealing one-word answer when asked why he picked Kings originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

DeMar DeRozan’s criteria for his free-agent destination last summer appears to have been quite simple.

In fact, the six-time NBA All-Star forward had just a one-word response when asked why he chose the Kings after he first landed in Sacramento.

“Winning.”

That was DeRozan’s instant answer to Kings VP of player development Paul Johnson’s question on the Season 3 premiere episode of “The Run,” released on the team’s YouTube channel.

That says something about Sacramento, considering the bevy of options DeRozan had during NBA free agency.

In the end, the Kings — who ended a near-two-decade playoff drought in 2023 — won out for DeRozan’s services. The 15-year NBA veteran joined Sacramento in July via a sign-and-trade deal from the Chicago Bulls, and received a three-year, $76 million contract.

“The Run” also showcased DeRozan’s workout with new Kings teammate Domantas Sabonis at USC shortly after he signed.

“Sabonis, he wanted to come out to LA to work out with me,” DeRozan said. “We spent a whole week together.

“Just the dialogue, the work we put in — you would think we played together for two years after just a week of working out.”

So, it appears a partnership with Sabonis helped lure DeRozan to Sacramento, too.

However, as DeRozan revealed last month, he had to wait for Paul George to decide his own playing fate before making a decision. George, of course, went to the Philadelphia 76ers. That paved the way for DeRozan to pick the Kings over other contenders, including the 76ers, Miami Heat and both Los Angeles squads.

With the 2024-25 NBA season about to start, DeRozan’s dream of lighting the beam is about to be realized.

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