When the 2023 NBA offseason kicked off, the Chicago Bulls had a huge question mark next to them. Would they shake things up and look to push forward, or tear it all down and begin a rebuild? They chose the former, but the so-called shake-up didn’t involve much movement. The Bulls’ core is the same heading into next year.
Chicago added Jevon Carter and Torrey Craig, but that won’t be enough to significantly raise their ceiling. In turn, they could be a team to watch when the trade deadline rolls around. If they’re bad enough, they could end up selling assets.
Greg Swartz of Bleacher Report believes DeMar DeRozan could be one of those assets, as he predicted that the All-Star will be shopped at the trade deadline.
“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. 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,” Buckley wrote.
With the star heading into the final year of his contract, trading him at the deadline would ensure that the Bulls get something back in return.
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