DeMar DeRozan's brutal career turn justifies Spurs' franchise-shifting decision

The Sacramento Kings are entering some rough territory with DeMar DeRozan. They're expected to waive him this summer if they can't pinpoint a viable trade partner, confirming a reality that Spurs fans always knew: moving away from him in 2021 was the best decision for their future.

DeRozan is truly one of the most interesting star players of the last decade. His scoring numbers were always great, posting several 20+ point seasons throughout his career. His mid-range game is amongst the best of this era, and he helped the Toronto Raptors go from a period of mediocrity to consistent regular-season success in the Eastern Conference.

But time passed, and he never improved offensively to keep up with the rest of the league. His struggles from the three-point line severely limited his impact as his career progressed, and it's why he's at a point where his trade value is a head-scratcher. As good as he was, he never would have been a viable long-term answer for San Antonio in the post-Kawhi era.

DeMar DeRozan's underwhelming tenure with the Spurs

In July 2018, the Spurs engaged in a blockbuster trade to move Kawhi Leonard over to the Toronto Raptors in exchange for DeMar DeRozan, along with Jakob Poeltl and a 2019 first-round pick. It was the best they could do at this time, as Leonard demanded to be transferred out of San Antonio.

Now, DeRozan did turn in some solid individual numbers in a Spurs jersey. In three seasons, he averaged 21.6 points per game, but team success didn't follow as they made the playoffs once during his short tenure. It became apparent they needed to go in another direction, so they orchestrated a sign-and-trade, sending him to Chicago.

This allowed San Antonio to commit to a full rebuild, which is paying dividends now as they made the NBA Finals with one of the youngest cores in the NBA. DeRozan hasn't come close to that level of success, as his time between Chicago and Sacramento has been filled with brief play-in tournament appearances or downright horrific regular seasons.

This all comes down to one recurring problem for DeRozan

DeMar DeRozan's impressive career scoring output could never mask his biggest issue: he never added more to his game. Sure, his mid-range proficiency was fun to watch in a league where the three-point shot was king, but he never blended both of those things. Without floor-spacing ability, it's very difficult to be a top offensive guard on a great team.

That lack of scoring versatility kept him boxed in throughout his career, and there was never a situation outside of Toronto where he looked like a reliable player to build around.

The next stage of his NBA career will be interesting. He's 36, so he has some years left to contribute to a team that needs extra scoring. Nonetheless, his current predicament validates San Antonio's decision to move him away to make room for their rebuild.

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