When an NBA team has a disappointing season, they need to respond. With that said, there are a few responses that the team can justify. Ultimately, they need to ask themselves this question: Why were we disappointing?
Why were the Los Angeles Clippers disappointing last season? Largely, they can blame injuries. That doesnt mean that the Clippers shouldn’t entertain a rebuild. This roster is injury-prone – this could be a recurring problem. Still, the Clippers could justify staying in win-now mode if they wanted to.
What about the Chicago Bulls? They can’t blame injuries – the Bulls were reasonably healthy. Something just wasn’t working for the Bulls last year. For that reason, they should strongly consider blowing up their roster. Could they start by sending DeMar DeRozan to the Clippers?
The Trade Proposal
Chicago Bulls Receive: F/C Marcus Morris Sr., F Robert Covington, 2028 First-Round Pick (LAC)
Los Angeles Clippers Receive: G/F DeMar DeRozan
There are more questions that an underwhelming team should ask themselves. Should this work? How does it look on paper? Do we have an idea that’s worth investing in here, even without proof of concept?
The Clippers do. If this group could just stay healthy, they should be powerhouses. The Clippers are stacked with floor spacing and defense. They’ve got plenty of shot creation too. Nobody can guarantee an NBA championship, but if the Clippers could get healthy, they’d have as strong of a chance as anyone else.
NBA TRADES, NEWS & RUMORS: DeMar DeRozan, Chicago Bulls & Los Angeles Clippers Updates
By contrast, these Bulls weren’t built to win a title. Still, they were expected to make a playoff bid. It’s possible that this thing just doesn’t work on paper. The Bulls are built around ball-dominant offensive players. There’s too much redundancy here. Does this deal help offset some of those concerns?
Why The Chicago Bulls Do The Deal
It’s possible that there will be some addition by subtraction at play for the Bulls here. As dynamic of an offensive player as DeRozan is, he didn’t seem to mesh with Zach LaVine or Nikola Vucevic last season. Following this deal, the Bulls could build their offense around the latter two more exclusively.
Still, that isn’t the point here. The Bulls are doing this deal to acquire an unprotected first-round pick. In all likelihood, that’s the best that they’ll get for DeRozan. He’s aging, a poor floor spacer, and a limited defender. All told, this is a good return for the Bulls.
NBA TRADES, NEWS & RUMORS: DeMar DeRozan, Chicago Bulls & Los Angeles Clippers Updates
Landing one without any financial repercussions is even better. All three of the players involved in this deal are on expiring contracts. The Bulls are flipping DeRozan for an unprotected first without taking any bad money back. Should the Clippers send them that pick?
Why The Los Angeles Clippers Do The Deal
Some will question our wisdom here. The Clippers need a point guard, right? They’re stacked at the wing positions. Why would they have an interest in DeRozan?
Welcome to the age of positionless basketball. DeRozan has developed into a strong playmaker over his career. It doesn’t matter where the Clippers play him. He could start at the 4 or the 1 alongside Leonard and George. The main point for the Clippers here is to add a dynamic passer who can give their offense a new wrinkle.
NBA TRADES, NEWS & RUMORS: DeMar DeRozan, Chicago Bulls & Los Angeles Clippers Updates
Of course, they won’t be upset to add DeRozan’s shot creation, either. He’s still a player who can score over even the toughest defenders. All told, DeRozan would make the Clippers a better team. If all goes well, they won’t have any disappointed fans heading into next summer.
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