2014 National College Basketball Player of the Year Re-Signs with the Kings
Ever since being the 2014 National College Basketball Player of the Year, Doug McDermott hasn’t lived up to all the high expectations once placed on him. While he’s now an 11-year veteran in the league, McDermott has been bounced around from team to team and now looks to find one final team to call home for the remainder of his career. As a member of the Sacramento Kings this past season, he helped the team win 40 games and reach the Play-In Tournament. Yet, the Kings would be bounced out by the 10th-seeded Dallas Mavericks. Now, as a free agent, it’s been reported by Shams Charania that the 33-year-old veteran forward has signed a deal with the Kings on a one year $3.6 million deal.
McDermott was selected as the 11th overall pick by the Denver Nuggets during the 2014 NBA Draft. He would later be traded to the Chicago Bulls on the same night. The 2014 National College Basketball Player of the Year played two and a half seasons in Chicago before being traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder during the middle of the 2016-2017 NBA season. During the 2017 offseason, the 33-year-old veteran was traded to the New York Knicks, alongside Enes Kanter and a 2018 second-round pick, in exchange for Carmelo Anthony. Just a few months later, McDermott was once again on the move, this time being traded to the Dallas Mavericks in a three-team deal that involved the Denver Nuggets. In the 2018 offseason, he signed a three-year $22 million deal with the Indiana Pacers. Finishing his three years in Indiana, the 33-year-old veteran agreed to a sign and trade with the San Antonio Spurs, where he signed a three-year $42 million deal. He played two and a half seasons in San Antonio before being traded once again, this time back to the Pacers in another three-team deal that sent Buddy Hield to the Philadelphia 76ers. During the 2024 offseason, McDermott signed with the Kings.
This past season, McDermott played 42 games with Sacramento. He averaged just eight minutes a game, putting up nearly eight points and three rebounds. On December 8th, the 33-year-old forward recorded a season-high of 18 points during a 141-97 victory over the Utah Jazz. McDermott will look to be a true veteran with absolute impact heading into this season with the Kings.
