The Sacramento Kings still face roster questions despite a late surge. Including DeMar DeRozan possibly being on the move.
DeMar DeRozan scored the first basket on Sunday against the Portland Trail Blazers before finishing with 14 points.
But will it be the last time he sets the tone for the Kings?
DeRozan continues to hear trade chatter across the league. And now one insider is predicting an Eastern Conference team will capitalize.
Bailey Bassett of ClutchPoints dropped the list of predicted trade moves as the NBA deadline draws near. Bassett calls for DeRozan to eventually land with the Philadelphia 76ers in outlining multiple reasons.
"The Sacramento Kings could blow things up sooner rather than later, so all of [Zach] LaVine, [Domantas] Sabonis, and DeRozan could be on the move. DeRozan might have the least trade value of that big three, but he also seems like the most likely to be moved," Bassett wrote.
Bassett believes at this stage, Sabonis is out on the trade market following his return from a partially torn meniscus tear.
"He'd also provide the most long-term value to the Kings if they decided to keep anyone around from the core," Bassett said.
But who else on the Sacramento roster presents difficulty in making a trade?
"LaVine will be tough to move because of his large contract," Bassett said.
All the more reason why the veteran forward DeRozan rises as, arguably, the most tradeable asset on the Kings.
"DeRozan has a relatively tradeable contract. His mid-range-based skillset won't be valued by every team, but he could provide much-needed scoring for the Philadelphia 76ers," Bassett said.
Bassett also looked at the makeup of the Philly roster which adds to the belief DeRozan can fit in with ease.
"The 76ers rarely have all three of Paul George, Joel Embiid, and Tyrese Maxey sharing the floor together because of the ever-present injury bug," Bassett said. "When any of that core is inevitably sidelined, DeRozan can take over the scoring burden in the half-court offense."
Lastly, Bassett added one more element that DeRozan can bring if he indeed heads to the City of Brotherly Love.
"He is also shooting the 3-point shot more reliably than normal, which makes his fit with a healthy 76ers team much cleaner," Bassett said.
Sacramento, again, placed itself in a better position during the winning streak that included taking down one of the east's best the New York Knicks. Portland ended the Kings' four-game winning roll on Sunday.
Sacramento returns to action against the Miami Heat on Tuesday.
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