USC Basketball: All-Star Former Trojan Bringing Veteran Leadership to New Team

Matt Levine | Jul 22, 2024

Former USC Trojans star DeMar DeRozan is embarking on a new journey this coming season as he signed with the Sacramento Kings in a sign-and-trade deal. After spending the last few seasons with the Chicago Bulls, DeRozan is heading back to the state of California.

With the Kings, he now forms a big three with De'Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis. DeRozan is the oldest of three players and brings his veteran leadership with him to the team.

DeRozan is looking forward to being a leader on the Kings, something that could help the team get over the hump. He is one of the better players on the team still but has experience that others on the Sacramento roster have yet to experience.

“I take pride in that,” DeRozan said. “Just giving whatever experience in life that I’ve been through, sharing that and giving any type of gems that I can give to help avoid any type of pitfall that someone else could go through if they haven’t been through something. I’ve been through a lot on and off the court that I feel like I can share. Any experience that I can give, I’ll try to give it all because I want the best for anybody I work with or play with and I want them to thrive the best way they can.”

The former Trojans star has made the Eastern Conference Finals while with the Toronto Raptors, giving him more credibility when he enters the room. His presence alone should be great for the younger Sacramento players.

It remains to be seen if the Kings will be a true title threat this season but they will at least have a fighting chance. The Western Conference is absolutely loaded but the Kings are determined to make their mark in the conference with this addition.

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