After the first wave of free agents came off the board, DeMar DeRozan was the best remaining free agent available. It seemed like he was trending towards joining the Sacramento Kings over the past few days, and sure enough, that's where he ended up landing, as he agreed to a three-year, $74 million contract after landing with his new team through a sign-and-trade with the Chicago Bulls.

While DeRozan initially wanted to stay with the Bulls, he quickly realized that wasn't going to happen, and he ended up returning to his home state of California to play for the Kings. Shortly after the deal was announced, DeRozan appeared at the Kings Summer League contest and received a huge ovation from the fans in attendance. He also spent some time with his new superstar teammate in De'Aaron Fox, which will only make Sacramento more excited to see their new-look squad in action.

DeMar DeRozan already feeling the love from Kings fans

Chicago Bulls forward DeMar DeRozan (11) dribbles the basketball against the Miami Heat in the second quarter during a play-in game of the 2024 NBA playoffs at Kaseya Center.
Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports
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The Kings rarely have managed to land big-name superstars on the free agent market throughout their franchise's history, but they managed to bring DeRozan to town, and fans are pumped. That much was clear after he unexpectedly showed up to watch Sacramento's Summer League action, and it sounds like he and Fox are on the same page as they begin their new partnership together.

Add in star center Domantas Sabonis, and the Kings have a new big three that they are hoping will lead them to some more success in the Western Conference after a fairly disappointing 2023-24 campaign. After fighting the Golden State Warriors tooth and nail in the 2023 NBA Playoffs before bowing out in seven games, they didn't even manage to make it to the playoffs after they lost to the New Orleans Pelicans in their second Play-In Tournament game.

The addition of DeRozan should help the Kings in their quest to reemerge as a true playoff contender in the West. Fox and Sabonis have had to shoulder a heavy load on offense, so adding in another lethal isolation scorer should help them out in a big way moving forward. Beyond that, DeRozan is also a solid wing defender who can help Sacramento improve on defense, which has been their biggest weakness in recent seasons.

Everyone is going to be pumped that the team managed to pull off this move, but they now have a lot of work to do in order to ensure that the Kings front office didn't make a big move just to make a big move. DeRozan is already a fan favorite after he decided to join Sacramento in free agency, and if he can continue to play at his typical high level over the next few seasons, the love affair between these two sides will only grow stronger.