According to Lou Williams, while appearing on Fan Duel’s ‘Run It Back TV’ show, head coach Mike Brown wanted DeMar DeRozan to come off the bench.

This revelation comes after reports said there was tension in the locker room and disputes surrounding player’s roles. Fans were caught off guard by Williams’ bombshell.

“I was even hearing whispers that there was a situation where he might have asked, you know, or suggested that even DeMar DeRozan come off the bench, and those things proved to be severe missteps in an already challenging season, where it put the front office in a position where they had to side with either the all-star talent they had or depart ways with their former coach of the year who had a brand-new three-year extension.”

It went beyond Brown’s new role for DeRozan; many didn’t like how he handled De’Aaron Fox and constantly called him out for his failures.

“You know, so I’m hearing there was just some pushback from how De’Aaron Fox was continuously being singled out, you know, whether it was publicly or behind the scenes, where the players just didn’t agree with that sentiment.”

In the end, DeRozan has never been considered a bench player, which is why the players and he took issue with it. Before Brown’s firing, the team was 13-18.

According to ESPN’s Jamal Collier, the Chicago Bulls and DeMar DeRozan were never close to agreeing to a contract extension. It didn’t matter if it was the beginning of the 2023-24 season, during, or even before he went to the Sacramento Kings.

Arturas Kanisovas and DeRozan maintained interest in keeping their partnership alive, but negotiations kept falling flat. The 34-year-old veteran reportedly helped the younger players develop throughout last season.

However, management wanted to go in a different direction after trading Alex Caruso. This separated both sides even more, as DeRozan’s leadership was no longer wanted, and a rebuild was going into full effect.

According to multiple reports, led by The Athletic’s Shams Charania and ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, DeMar DeRozan has been traded from the Chicago Bulls to the Sacramento Kings.

DeRozan has agreed to a three-year, $74 million deal, which is official through sign-and-trade. This is a three-way trade involving Sacramento, Chicago, and the San Antonio Spurs.

The Bulls are getting Chris Duarte, two second-round picks. The Kings are getting DeRozan, while the Spurs are getting Harrison Barnes.

While general manager Brian Wright isn’t landing DeRozan, he did get Barnes to pair with Victor Wembanyama and a young squad.

According to Bleacher Report’s Chris Haynes, De’Aaron Fox was crucial in pitching Sacramento to DeRozan. During the meeting, both were known to be “ecstatic” to play with each other. The top three players will be DeRozan, Fox, and Domantas Sabonis.

During the Kings NBA Summer League game, DeRozan walked out to a crowd, giving him a standing ovation that was very excited to see him in their building.