Overview
- The Sacramento Kings officially waived DeMar DeRozan, making him an unrestricted free agent and available to sign with any team.
- DeRozan was owed about $25.7 million for 2026–27 with roughly $10 million guaranteed, a structure that makes a buyout or a stretch of the partial guarantee financially attractive for Sacramento.
- Multiple playoff contenders, including the Miami Heat, Los Angeles Lakers, Toronto Raptors, and Detroit Pistons, are expected to pursue DeRozan now that he is on the open market.
- Miami has shown repeated interest but sits hard-capped near the luxury-tax apron after its Giannis trade, so the Heat would most likely pursue DeRozan via a buyout, a veteran minimum deal, or the taxpayer mid-level exception.
- Sacramento must still decide whether to spread the $10 million guarantee over several years using the stretch provision, a choice that would significantly change the Kings’ 2026–27 cap and luxury-tax position and could influence further roster moves.