Ten things you might not know about new Sacramento Kings star DeMar DeRozan

The Sacramento Kings made a splash over the weekend with the sign-and-trade that landed former Chicago Bulls forward DeMar DeRozan, potentially upgrading an already-potent offense that features De’Aaron Fox, Domantas Sabonis, Malik Monk and Keegan Murray.

DeRozan is expected to sign a three-year, $74 million contract, with partial guarantees in the third season, tying him to Sacramento through 2027.

There will be plenty to learn from DeRozan as he tries to help the Kings win a playoff series for the first time since 2004. In the meantime, here are 10 things to know about him ahead of his 16th NBA season.

‘Dinners with DeMar’ video series

DeRozan this spring launched a YouTube channel, “Dinners with DeMar,” to show videos of discussions about mental health with other prominent figures in basketball.

DeRozan has become one of the most prominent athlete advocates of mental health awareness after being one of the NBA’s first players to open up about depression.

‘This depression get the best of me’

DeRozan was in his Los Angeles hotel during All-Star Weekend in 2018 in bed rather than partying like many star players normally would. He lay awake at 3 a.m. and posted a tweet admitting to the world he was dealing with depression. It came at a time when it was relatively uncommon for athletes to express vulnerability about mental health.

The discussion was pushed further into the mainstream when Kevin Love opened up about his anxiety and revealed he had a panic attack at halftime of an NBA game. There has since been a wave of mental health advocacy from players and the league, which traces back to DeRozan’s revealing tweet. The Kings have taken steps to prioritize mental health since hiring coach Mike Brown in 2023.

DeRozan, the iron man?

DeRozan led the league in minutes last season, becoming the oldest player to do so at age 34. He played 2,989 minutes and also led the league averaging 37.8 minutes per game.

Second place: new Kings teammate Sabonis, who played 2,928 total minutes. DeRozan has appeared in at least 74 games in 11 of his 15 seasons.

A screaming sensation

Diar DeRozan, DeMar’s daughter, made herself famous for screaming during opponents’ free throws during a 2023 play-in game.

DeMar, playing for the Bulls, was in Toronto to take on his former team. During Raptors free throws, one voice stood out amid the quiet home crowd. It was Diar, who screamed as Raptors players were attempting their foul shots. The result was one of the worst foul-line performances in the history of elimination games — and Diar going viral for her efforts.

Toronto went 18-of-36 at the line in a game the Bulls won 109-105. The Raptors missed more free throws in an elimination game than any team since 1969.

A multi-time All-Star

DeRozan has reached the All-Star game six times, more than all other current Kings players combined, and was a starter twice, in 2017 and 2018. Sabonis and Fox have four All-Star nods between them.

All-NBA

DeRozan has been named an All-NBA honoree three times: third team in 2016-17, and second team in 2017-18 and 2021-22. That matches Fox and Sabonis, who have three All-NBA nominations combined.

Last of a fading breed

DeRozan is just one of the seven remaining players from the 2009 draft, along with James Harden, Stephen Curry, Jrue Holiday, Taj Gibson, James Johnson and Patty Mills.

DeRozan was drafted ninth overall, out of USC.

Increasing in assists

DeRozan has been known as one of the game’s premier scorers, particularly as a mid-range shooter. But his assist numbers have increased substantially since he was a younger player.

They doubled from 2.8 assists per game in first eight seasons to 5.6 in last seven campaigns. The Kings are hoping his passing meshes with their egalitarian offense.

Award winner

DeRozan won the Magic Johnson award for his dealings with the media in 2017-18 while with the Toronto Raptors.

The award was given to the player who “best combines excellence on the basketball court with cooperation and dignity in dealing with the media and the public,” according to the NBA.

Familiar number

DeRozan will reportedly will wear No. 10, with Sabonis switching to No. 11 to honor his father, the Hall of Famer Arvydas Sabonis.

DeRozan wore No. 10 during his nine seasons with the Raptors and three seasons with the San Antonio Spurs. He wore No. 11 the past three years with the Bulls.