Last week, the Sacramento Kings landed DeMar DeRozan from the Chicago Bulls in a sign-and-trade deal, which saw the veteran forward return to his home state of Califonia. The Compton native joining the Kings did not sit well with Gilbert Arenas, who was holding onto hope that the 34-year-old would join the Los Angeles Lakers, the team he rooted for since childhood.
The former All-Star guard was frustrated about DeRozan landing in Sacramento. He lashed out at the city and also called out San Antonio and Chicago, the forward’s last two landing spots. On the Gil’s Arenas podcast, he said,
“F**k the Kings, man… I need to call DeMar man. Don’t you like big cities, bro? You keep going to these weak a*s cities man. San Antonio man! Chicago cold. He is going down to Hicksville…they rank No.1 in being ugly over there.”
Kings star DeAaron Fox wasn’t too pleased about Arenas’ profanity-riddled take about Chicago and San Antonio. He was miffed about the analyst alluding that they were small cities, and responded,
“Chicago is the 3rd most populated city in the country and San Antonio is top 10 btw.”
Arenas’ frustration is misguided. He’s upset about the Lakers failing to land DeRozan but took a swipe at the San Antonio Spurs, Chicago Bulls, and the Sacramento Kings — the three teams the forward has suited up for since leaving the Toronto Raptors in 2018. The retired guard should instead call out the Lakers for their lack of conviction in their pursuit of the veteran.
Taking a closer look at the DeMar DeRozan sweepstakes
Per NBA insider Shams Charania, the Lakers expressed interest in acquiring DeRozan but never made a real offer. On the flip side, Ranadive and his front office pursued the Bulls forward aggressively for quite some time and even offered him a three-year deal after landing him.
Reportedly, the Miami Heat were also in the mix, and DeRozan’s choice came down to either living in the East or West Coast. The six-time All-Star preferred a move to California over Florida, and the Kings pulled the trigger on a deal with the Bulls.
DeRozan, who will turn 35 in August, averaged 24 points, 5.3 assists, and 4.4 rebounds in 37.8 minutes per game for the Bulls this past season. The former Bulls star was also in contention for the league’s Most Clutch Player Award, proving his mantle as a reliable closer.
While the Lakers pondered about making a move for the veteran forward, the Kings were convinced that he had enough left in the tank to help the franchise end their wait for a title, and brought him to Sacramento. LA will now have to look elsewhere to improve their roster, much to Arenas’ frustration, who was keen on seeing DeRozan suit up for 17-time NBA champions.