DeMar DeRozan – San Antonio Spurs
Nobody really knows what the Spurs are planning to do with DeMar DeRozan, but if the trade rumors are true, then the Bulls could be heavily interested in the veteran wing. Now in his 12th season in the league, DeRozan has been the leader of the Spurs since joining them in 2018 and is in the final year of his contract, making him a prime trade candidate ahead of Thursday’s NBA trade deadline.
This season, DeMar DeRozan has continued to be one of the top players on the Spurs and is currently averaging 20.6 points, 4.5 rebounds, 7.4 assists and is shooting 49.8% from the floor. The Bulls need another high-level talent to pair with Zach LaVine if they are going to improve, which is exactly why DeMar DeRozan has been linked to Chicago.
The Bulls have a solid amount of talent in their backcourt and have a fairly strong frontcourt with Lauri Markkanen, Wendell Carter Jr. and Thaddeus Young, but they do not have much depth or talent on the wing.
Otto Porter Jr. is a candidate to get bought out of his contract and Denzel Valentine is nothing more than a role player, which is why DeMar DeRozan is a “must-add” player for the Bulls ahead of Thursday’s NBA trade deadline.
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If they were able to add DeMar DeRozan, not only would the Bulls lock-in their playoff position in the Eastern Conference, but they would have enough firepower to potentially be a dangerous team for some of the top teams in the East to play come playoff time. Dealing with Zach LaVine causes enough headaches for opponents, but now they would have to gameplan for a great facilitator and scorer in DeRozan as well.
The only question about pursuing the veteran wing is whether or not he is going to enter free agency next offseason. He is in the final year of his contract and if the Bulls are not going to be able to keep him long-term, it would make no sense giving up future assets for a half-a-year rental of him, especially since they are not a championship contender.
Whether or not the Spurs trade DeRozan continues to remain a major headline in the NBA and until the trade deadline passes at 3pm EST on Thursday, we have no idea what the future holds for DeMar DeRozan.
