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Coming off a season that ended with a seven-game first-round loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Toronto Raptors made arguably the biggest splash of the early NBA offseason.
Toronto landed Kawhi Leonard from the Los Angeles Clippers on June 30, sending Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick, two second-round picks, a 2027 pick swap and unprotected first-rounders in 2031 and 2033 to LA. Leonard, 35, sees Toronto as his final NBA stop after winning a title there in 2019.
The trade also revived talk of another homecoming. DeMar DeRozan, whose 13,296 points top the franchise scoring list ahead of Kyle Lowry’s 10,540, was the man Toronto gave up to get Leonard the first time.
DeRozan and the Sacramento Kings could soon finalize a buyout, a resolution that would free the 36-year-old to sign anywhere as a free agent.
Yahoo Sports’ Kelly Iko reported Wednesday that DeRozan hoped to accelerate his exit and that he and rival executives expected the Kings to waive him. He is entering the final season of the three-year contract he signed in 2024.
DeRozan has also fueled the buzz himself, liking an Instagram post describing growing momentum toward a Toronto return in the days after the Leonard trade. It drew roughly 13,000 likes. Although, it’s unclear if the former Raptors star was joking with his social media activity.
Drafted ninth overall by Toronto in 2009, DeRozan was dealt to the San Antonio Spurs alongside Jakob Poeltl and a protected 2019 first-round pick on July 18, 2018, with Leonard and Danny Green coming back. The move came after a 59-23 season in which the Raptors finished first in the Eastern Conference with DeRozan as the club’s leading scorer.
Leonard justified the swap, capturing Finals MVP while leading Toronto to the 2019 championship in his only season with the club. DeRozan, a six-time All-Star, owns 26,711 career points across 17 seasons and is still chasing his first championship.
DeRozan made 77 appearances for the Kings in 2025-26, posting 18.4 points and 4.1 assists per night in 31.2 minutes while making 49.7 percent of his shots for a team that went 22-60 and finished 14th in the Western Conference.
While the pieces could fit, nothing is done or even known to be in motion at this stage. No agreement between DeRozan and the Kings has been made, and Toronto has only minimum-level contracts to offer this summer should he become available.
So, to answer the question: it's possible, and some signs point to it, but far from a sure thing.
Continue reading...
Toronto landed Kawhi Leonard from the Los Angeles Clippers on June 30, sending Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick, two second-round picks, a 2027 pick swap and unprotected first-rounders in 2031 and 2033 to LA. Leonard, 35, sees Toronto as his final NBA stop after winning a title there in 2019.
The trade also revived talk of another homecoming. DeMar DeRozan, whose 13,296 points top the franchise scoring list ahead of Kyle Lowry’s 10,540, was the man Toronto gave up to get Leonard the first time.
DeRozan and the Sacramento Kings could soon finalize a buyout, a resolution that would free the 36-year-old to sign anywhere as a free agent.
Yahoo Sports’ Kelly Iko reported Wednesday that DeRozan hoped to accelerate his exit and that he and rival executives expected the Kings to waive him. He is entering the final season of the three-year contract he signed in 2024.
DeRozan has also fueled the buzz himself, liking an Instagram post describing growing momentum toward a Toronto return in the days after the Leonard trade. It drew roughly 13,000 likes. Although, it’s unclear if the former Raptors star was joking with his social media activity.
Drafted ninth overall by Toronto in 2009, DeRozan was dealt to the San Antonio Spurs alongside Jakob Poeltl and a protected 2019 first-round pick on July 18, 2018, with Leonard and Danny Green coming back. The move came after a 59-23 season in which the Raptors finished first in the Eastern Conference with DeRozan as the club’s leading scorer.
Leonard justified the swap, capturing Finals MVP while leading Toronto to the 2019 championship in his only season with the club. DeRozan, a six-time All-Star, owns 26,711 career points across 17 seasons and is still chasing his first championship.
DeRozan made 77 appearances for the Kings in 2025-26, posting 18.4 points and 4.1 assists per night in 31.2 minutes while making 49.7 percent of his shots for a team that went 22-60 and finished 14th in the Western Conference.
While the pieces could fit, nothing is done or even known to be in motion at this stage. No agreement between DeRozan and the Kings has been made, and Toronto has only minimum-level contracts to offer this summer should he become available.
So, to answer the question: it's possible, and some signs point to it, but far from a sure thing.
Continue reading...
