NBA Mock Trade: Sacramento Kings Deal DeMar DeRozan to Indiana Pacers

The Indiana Pacers finished one win shy of their first NBA title.

The franchise appears ready to mostly "run it back" with the same roste r in the hopes of getting back to the finals and winning next June.

But could a major trade to perhaps put the Pacers over the top still be in the works? Before the postseason run to the NBA Finals, multiple Bleacher Report analysts proposed the Pacers as a trade landing spot for six-time All-Star small forward DeMar DeRozan.

In 2024-25 with the Sacramento Kings, DeRozan posted 22.2 points, 4.4 assists and 3.9 rebounds per game in 77 contests.

Let's take a look at what a DeRozan blockbuster deal to Indiana could look like this summer.

Sacramento Kings-Indiana Pacers Mock Trade Sacramento Kings receive shooting guard Andrew Nemhard and small forward Jarace Walker.

Indiana Pacers receive small forward DeMar DeRozan and point guard Devin Carter.

I used the basis for this hypothetical trade from a proposal Bleacher Report's Greg Swartz made in March.

Swartz suggested the Pacers could land DeRozan and a second-round pick for Nemhard and Walker.

Seeing that the Pacers are trying to get back to the NBA Finals, they'd probably prefer a player as opposed to a future draft pick, especially a second-rounder.

The Kings drafted Carter at No.

13 overall in the first round in the 2024 NBA Draft.

So, maybe Sacramento doesn't want to part with Carter a little more than a year later.

Carter, though, spent a lot of time with the Stockton Kings in the G-League last season.

He averaged 3.8 points with 2.1 rebounds and 1.1 assists in 36 games with Sacramento as a rookie.

Maybe he could use a fresh start in Indiana.

If the Kings want to keep him, though, they could include a different depth guard or small forward in the deal with DeRozan.

The Pacers would lose depth in this trade, but they would gain an veteran All-Star who is trying to make one last push at winning a title.

While DeRozan just turned 36, he continues to play some of the most minutes in the league.

In Indiana, he might not be as valuable a fantasy asset for managers because he would have to share the ball with the likes of Pascal Siakam, Tyrese Haliburton and Bennedict Mathurin.

But it's probably more likely those players see a decrease in shot volume with DeRozan continuing to see the same amount of opportunities.

In Sacramento, Nembhard and Walker would each be candidates to start for a Kings team that is trying to revamp its roster after trading point guard De'Aaron Fox before the NBA trade deadline..

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