One NBA writer believes the Chicago Bulls will trade DeMar DeRozan to a championship contender next season. Greg Swartz of Bleacher Report thinks DeRozan will “become one of the hottest trade targets on the market if Chicago gets off to another mediocre start.”
“DeRozan should be a Bull to start the year, but he’ll become one of the hottest trade targets on the market if Chicago gets off to another mediocre start,” Swartz wrote in his latest NBA trade column. “His $28.6 million expiring salary is one of the easiest All-Star contracts to trade for, and teams like the Los Angeles Lakers, Los Angeles Clippers, Milwaukee Bucks and Philadelphia 76ers make sense as potential landing spots.
“The Bulls should want to get something for DeRozan rather than risk losing him for nothing in free agency next summer. That’s why they’ll eventually trade him to a team with championship aspirations before the deadline.”
NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: DeMar DeRozan & Chicago Bulls Updates
In 74 games last season for the Bulls, DeRozan averaged 24.5 points, 4.6 rebounds and 5.1 assists while shooting 50.4% from the field and 87.2% from the free-throw line. The Compton native was 13th in the NBA in total points and 17th in points per game, once again proving that he doesn’t need to shoot or make 3-pointers to score.
Unfortunately for the Bulls, DeRozan’s stellar individual season didn’t result in many wins. Chicago won only 40 games and missed the 2023 NBA playoffs. The Bulls beat the Toronto Raptors in the 9-10 play-in game but lost to the Miami Heat in the 8-9 play-in game.
DeRozan will make $28.6 million next season. He becomes an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2024 and the Bulls are unlikely to sign DeRozan to an extension this year, sources told NBA Analysis Network. The future Hall of Famer is averaging 26.2 points in 150 games with Chicago and has made two All-Star teams.
NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: DeMar DeRozan & Chicago Bulls Updates
The Bulls are 80-70 with DeRozan in the lineup. They acquired the USC product in the summer of 2021 in a sign-and-trade deal with the San Antonio Spurs. DeRozan has career NBA averages of 21.0 points, 4.4 rebounds and 4.0 assists with the Raptors, Spurs and Bulls.
Want the latest NBA analysis, breaking news, and insider information? Click Here. Follow NBA Analysis Network on Twitter and Facebook.
