Warriors Eye Kings Star DeMar DeRozan After Jimmy Butler Injury – Blockbuster Trade Rumor Heats Up

Dateline – January 22, 2026 Trade winds are swirling around six-time All-Star DeMar DeRozan as the NBA approaches the Feb. 6 trade deadline, with league insiders confirming that the Golden State Warriors have zeroed in on the Sacramento Kings swingman as a potential Jimmy Butler replacement following Butler’s season-ending ACL tear. Why the Warriors are interested • Plug-and-play scoring: DeRozan is averaging 19.0 points on 50.8 percent shooting and a career-best 35.9 percent from three through 43 games, production Golden State sorely needs with Butler out. • Cap-friendly framework: ESPN’s Shams Charania and Forbes’ Evan Sidery report that a legal deal could be built around Jonathan Kuminga plus a veteran-minimum filler, keeping the Warriors below the first tax apron while preserving future draft flexibility. • Late-game shot creation: Golden State ranks 24th in clutch offensive rating this season; DeRozan’s 1.12 points per isolation rank in the NBA’s 87th percentile. What Sacramento wants Sources say Sacramento prefers a package featuring a high-ceiling wing and at least one protected first-round pick. Kuminga, 23, fits that profile, averaging 14.7 points in just 24 minutes per night and still on a rookie-scale deal. Other suitors—and why they cooled The Los Angeles Clippers held “substantive” talks last week but backed away after a 12-2 surge vaulted them up the West standings; front-office voices feared DeRozan’s mid-range–heavy game would clog spacing around James Harden and Kawhi Leonard. League executives also mention Miami and Dallas monitoring the situation but viewing DeRozan as a fallback to bigger swing options. Kings’ internal calculus Sacramento is 25-21, clinging to the No. 8 seed. Team governor Vivek Ranadivé is said to be reluctant to enter a soft rebuild, yet the front office is realistic about DeRozan’s age (36) and expiring $27 million contract. Moving the veteran now could net assets while elevating Keegan Murray into a larger offensive role. Key dates to watch • Jan 24: Warriors @ Mavericks – league scouts expect Kuminga’s minutes to spike as a showcase. • Feb 5: Kings @ Bucks – could be DeRozan’s final game in purple if talks progress. • Feb 6, 3 p.m. ET: Trade deadline. Bottom line Golden State has the motivation and the matching salary piece to make a DeMar DeRozan deal realistic; whether Sacramento values Kuminga enough—or another contender jumps in with a richer offer—will decide if the smooth mid-range assassin spends spring in the Bay or continues leading the Kings’ playoff push.