Sabonis hilariously shares how he learned DeRozan was joining the Kings originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
Following a disappointing end to the 2023-24 NBA season, Kings star center Domantas Sabonis remained in communication with Sacramento’s front office during the offseason as they chased a big-name star.
Again.
After past offseasons of failed attempts, Sabonis wanted to change things. Both Kings general manager Monte McNair and assistant general manager Wes Wilcox encouraged him to do so.
With players such as Pascal Siakam, Lauri Markkanen, Zach LaVine and others being linked to Sacramento but the moves never falling through, DeMar DeRozan’s name came around town.
“I’m like, ‘Okay, another one.’ [that won’t happen],’ ” Sabonis recalled in an interview with Sam Amick and Anthony Slater of The Athletic. “Because nothing was working. – Here we go again. “
It’s been the same mindset of Kings fans for years, whose high expectations turned into serious letdowns.
But on the night of July 5, McNair and Wilcox pushed Sabonis to reach out to DeRozan and give his best pitch to convince the six-time NBA All-Star to join the Kings. Sabonis figured he would call DeRozan the next day because it was late.
The next morning, Sabonis continued his day as normal. training Training sessions Treatment. come back home
“My wife is like, ‘Oh, did you hit [DeRozan] up?’ ” Sabonis told Amick and Slater. “I’ll do it. Then I see that he is already there. He is at the arena. Then he is at the game. He is courteous to everyone. I’m like, ‘Oh, s–t.’ “
DeRozan surprised the Golden 1 Center crowd — and Sabonis — as he walked out onto the floor alongside Kings owner Vivek Ranadivé to a warm ovation from passionate and excited Kings fans during a summer league game.
Sabonis never got a chance to send that text or make that call, but the job was done. The Kings signed DeRozan to a three-year contract in a three-team sign-and-trade deal. He previously explored scenarios with the Philadelphia 76ers, Miami Heat, San Antonio Spurs and Golden State Warriors, Amick and Slater reported, citing league sources.
“That’s the highest-profile free agent that’s ever come to Sacramento,” Kings point guard De’Aaron Fox told Amick and Slater. “Those things don’t happen with a really bad team. Guys won’t just go there for the money. So, I mean, it kind of shows the direction we’re moving in.”
DeRozan supported that notion, telling Amick and Slater that he would “not at all” think about coming to Sacramento if it weren’t for the team’s recent turnaround.
He also added that Fox’s warm welcome and competitive spirit helped as well.
Shortly after signing with the Kings, DeRozan linked up with his new teammate Sabonis in Los AngelesDeRozan’s hometown and where the two both spent much of their summer.
The addition of DeRozan to the Kings’ unique offense presented concerns about spacing and speed. DeRozan wanted to eliminate those concerns, setting up a full week of 5 a.m. workouts at USC, through Amick and Slater, with a mix of his Kings coaches and assistants Doug Christie and Leandro Barbosa.
“He’s just super smart, high IQ,” Sabonis told Amick and Slater. “I mean, everybody knows he’s a bucket. But when he talks to you about how he plays – I saw that in training too – he just manipulates the game.
While he may never have made that call to DeRozan, Sabonis feels as connected as ever to his new teammate entering a pivotal 2024-25 NBA season for Sacramento.
And through a handful of preseason games this month, the new Big Three in Sacramento looks like it can make some real noise in the loaded Western Conference.
“I feel like that’s what we need more of,” Sabonis said of DeRozan. “We need more vets around. We’re kind of a young team. Really good players, but at the same time, it never hurts to have a Hall of Famer on your team. I always wanted one of these big NBA players on the team for confidence, backup, for everything.”
