DeMar DeRozan Finds Perspective After Rough Year in Sacramento

In his 16th NBA season, DeMar DeRozan averaged 18.4 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 4.1 assists per game while shooting 49 percent from the field in 77 appearances.

Along the way, he climbed to 18th on the NBA’s all‑time scoring list, passing Hall of Famers including Oscar Robertson, Dominique Wilkins, Tim Duncan, Paul Pierce, and Kevin Garnett.

“I mean, it’s amazing passing anybody in this league doing anything,” DeRozan said. “You know, it’s an honor.”

(Photo by Luke Hales/Getty Images)

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Even with the milestone, DeMar DeRozan was candid about the frustration of the season’s results.

“I somehow never take for granted just being able to play this game,” he said. “How many people get to play 17 plus years in this league… to be able to, you know, accomplish anything in this league is incredible. You know, I wish the wins came with it, but it didn’t.”

The season’s challenges mounted early, with injuries and constant disruption forcing the Kings into repeated adjustments. DeRozan described a locker room weighed down by circumstances.

“It was like thing after thing after thing,” he said. “Trying to make adjustments in the midst of… losing games, frustration, you know, so many emotions. There was definitely a lot going on.”

Still, DeRozan said none of it diminished how he feels about Sacramento or his career.

“I’ll take none away,” he said. “At the end of the day, still being able to have this opportunity, you can never take that for granted.”

While winning remains the priority, DeRozan made it clear what drives him most at this stage.

“The most important part is still being able to play basketball,” he said. “To play the game that you love, winning and the love of the game is the only thing that matters for me.”

(Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

One of the highlights of the season, DeRozan said, was working with the team’s younger players, like rookies Maxime Raynaud, Nique Clifford, and Dylan Cardwell.

Watching their growth helped bring energy to an otherwise difficult stretch.

“You see them learn something, or they ask the right questions,” he said. “That excitement gives us the energy that we need, especially a tough season like this.”

As for the future — including a partially guaranteed 2026‑27 contract ($10 million, which goes up to $25 million if fully guaranteed by January 2027) — DeRozan isn’t letting uncertainty weigh him down.

“I try not to think that way,” he said. “I just try to worry about day by day. Whatever comes next, I’m gonna be ready for whatever it is.”