Category: Bulls Rumors

Moving Zach LaVine reportedly the focal point of Chicago Bulls’ offseason

Recent rumbles suggest that moving on from Zach LaVine this coming offseason is a priority.

Fans of the Chicago Bulls have been calling for the team’s front office to make some substantial changes to the organization after three straight offseasons and trade deadlines without making major moves. And the Bulls’ execs have finally made some changes to the team, but not likely of the sort fans have been clamoring for.

Chicago’s front office has reportedly made the decision to make some changes to Bulls head coach Billy Donovan’s bench of assistant coaches, with Mo Cheeks and Chris Fleming reportedly out. But it is change in an organization that desperately needs it — perhaps it will soon be followed by more substantive moves?

Recent rumbles from NBC Sports Chicago’s KC Johnson suggest that moving on from Zach LaVine this coming offseason is a priority.

The hosts of the “Locked On Bulls” podcast, Haize and Pat the Designer, recently dialed in on what this news could mean for Chicago. Check it out above!

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Report: Bulls offering DeMar DeRozan nearly $40 million per year

The Chicago Bulls have reportedly offered DeMar DeRozan a contract worth around $40 million annually.

It’s been an odd three years for the Chicago Bulls. After completely reshaping their roster in 2021, they’ve only made the playoffs in one of the three seasons since – the first one. And that year, they only managed to take one game off of the Milwaukee Bucks. In the two years since they haven’t even cracked .500.

This season ended the same as the last: A loss to the Miami Heat in the second Play-In Tournament game. Chicago has seemingly embraced their place as a middle-of-the-pack squad despite the constant pleas from the fanbase to shake things up. And according to a recent report, that’s not going to change this summer.

According to sources who spoke with KC Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago, the Bulls have offered DeMar DeRozan a contract worth around $40 million annually.

“A source said the Bulls recently offered DeRozan’s representative a two-year deal at a high annual salary, perhaps as much as $40 million per season,” Johnson wrote. “For now, DeRozan is seeking a longer-term deal, but that merely be part of negotiations.”

DeRozan has revived his career in Chicago, but paying him $40 million to be the star of the show is a one-way ticket for more Bulls mediocrity.

Kelly Oubre Jr. listed as potential top Bulls target in free agency

Kelly Oubre Jr. was listed as a potential Chicago Bulls free agency target.

This season is set in stone for the Chicago Bulls. Their roster isn’t going to change (barring a buyout market addition), and they seem destined to finish as a Play-In team with a chance at making the playoffs. That’s where the front office wanted to be, so that’s where they will be.

But this summer, they will have a chance to improve the roster in hopes of competing more effectively next year. They should be looking to address some of the weaknesses on their roster, one of which being their lack of consistent three-point shooting. There could be some decent options in free agency this summer.

Andy Bailey of Bleacher Report suggested that they target Kelly Oubre Jr. in free agency.

“The Chicago Bulls should have the non-taxpayer’s mid-level exception,” Bailey wrote. “If they continue to chug along in the middle of the Eastern Conference rather than rebuild (another quiet trade deadline suggests that’s in play), Oubre would be a solid option.

“The outside shot is still inconsistent, but Oubre has adapted to his role as a fourth or fifth option for the Philadelphia 76ers. He makes timely cuts and knows his touches don’t take priority over the stars’. His 7’3″ wingspan gives him positional versatility too.”

Oubre could be a big help in Chicago.

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Stein: Golden State Warriors seriously pursued Alex Caruso at the NBA’s 2024 trade deadline

It turns out that it was not just Andre Drummond of Chicago Bulls players being furiously pursued by other ball clubs at the NBA’s 2024 trade deadline.

It turns out that it was not just Andre Drummond of Chicago Bulls players being furiously pursued by other ball clubs at the NBA’s 2024 trade deadline. According to The Stein Line’s Marc Stein, the Golden State Warriors were in serious talks to acquire the contract of 3-and-D Bulls guard Alex Caruso ahead of the Feb. 8 cutoff for trades in the league’s 2024-24 season.

“The Warriors’ exploration of a potential trade for LeBron James got last week’s headlines, but the more significant development, truthfully, was Golden State’s attempts to pry Alex Caruso away from Chicago,” writes Stein. “The Bulls … wound up giving real consideration to trading Caruso on Deadline Day after insisting for weeks that they wouldn’t.”

“But Chicago’s talks with Golden State ultimately collapsed and then the Bulls, league sources say, informed Philadelphia that they were keeping Andre Drummond, too, with the Sixers pressing to acquire the former All-Star center,” he adds.

Stein notes that one source related that Chicago was “only willing to trade Drummond if they could arrange the acquisition of another center to replace him.”

“When no such trade materialized, Chicago opted to keep Drummond in hopes that his rebounding (8.6 boards in 16.7 minutes per game) will help the 26-29 Bulls secure a Play-In Tournament berth in the East at the very least.”

Sounds competitive, if you ask us. How depressing.

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26-year-old potential buyout target ‘could be huge’ for Bulls

Chimeze Metu “could be huge” for the Chicago Bulls if they sign him off the buyout market.

Though they didn’t make any significant additions at the trade deadline, the Chicago Bulls committed to winning. They didn’t sell off assets; instead, they decided to hold firm and make a push for the postseason. Chicago is in the mix for a playoff spot and should be doing anything they can to get better at this point.

Attacking the buyout market could be an important piece to the puzzle in that regard, as they’ve already decided to push for improvement this year. If they can find anything close to a valuable rotation piece on the buyout market then it would be an absolute win for the Bulls.

The Bulls Digest YouTube channel recently discussed why adding Chimeze Metu “could be huge” for Chicago following his buyout post-trade deadline.

Would adding the 26-year-old big man be a win for the Bulls?

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Philadelphia 76ers thought they had a deal for Andre Drummond pre-2024 NBA trade deadline

“The Bulls wanted three second-round picks for Drummond,” relates HoopsHype.

To add insult to injury for many fans of the Chicago Bulls displeased with the lack of moves made by the Bulls’ front office, word is that Chicago was in advanced talks with the Philadelphia 76ers to trade for veteran Bulls big man Andre Drummond ahead of the NBA’s 2024 trade deadline.

Per recent reporting from HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto, “Philadelphia executive Daryl Morey thought he had fortified the center position at the trade deadline” with a trade for the UConn alum. “The 76ers believed they had a trade done to acquire Bulls center Andre Drummond before Chicago pulled out of talks hours before the deadline,” adds Scotto.

“The Bulls wanted three second-round picks for Drummond,” relates the HoopsHype reporter.

“For context, the Nets acquired three second-round picks in the three-team Royce O’Neale trade,” notes Scotto. The Sixers were competing with the likes of the Boston Celtics and Dallas Mavericks before both made other moves.

The Los Angeles Lakers, Phoenix Suns, and Houston Rockets also had interest per the HoopsHype reporter.

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Could Chicago GM Marc Eversley leave the Bulls for the Charlotte Hornets?

Eversley’s departure could cast a cloud over the Bulls’ offseason plans.

Could Chicago Bulls general manager Marc Eversley leave Chicago for the Charlotte Hornets’ open GM position? The rumbles you may have heard about such a possibility are more than just speculation. The Chicago Sun Times’ Joe Cowley reports that Eversley is among a field that includes New Orleans Pelicans GM Trajan Langdon, Brooklyn Nets assistant general manager Jeff Peterson, Cleveland Cavaliers GM Mike Gansey, and Philadelphia 76ers general manager Elton Brand.

This would not be the first time the Bulls GM has been tied to the job, with the Philadelphia Inquirer’s Keith Pompey reporting Eversley’s previous interest in the gig (h/t On Tap Sports’ Morris Bankston).

The lack of certainty regarding his future with the team may be part of why Chicago’s front office elected to stand pay for the third season in a row.

But Eversley’s departure could cast a cloud over the Bulls’ offseason plans as well, with his potential departure perhaps impacting the decisions of free agents like Andre Drummond and DeMar DeRozan.

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Killian Hayes suggested as potential buyout target for Bulls

Killian Hayes was suggested as a potential Chicago Bulls buyout candidate.

While some fans may have rather seen the Chicago Bulls reset the roster at the trade deadline, they didn’t. Instead, they chose to compete for the postseason, keeping their roster intact. Now, they have no place to go this season but forward. They need to do everything they can to win and make the most of their situation.

In turn with that, they should be keeping an eye on the buyout market. There are some players who could become available that would help the Bulls win this season. But in addition, there are also some young guys they could take a chance on.

Elias Schuster of Bleacher Nation brought up the idea of Chicago potentially taking a chance on former Detroit Piston Killian Hayes.

“If the Chicago Bulls really want to take an upside swing, though, they should look no further than Killian Hayes,” Schuster wrote. “Still only 22 years old, the Pistons waived their former No. 7 overall pick last week. Of course, the fact they decided to move on from the highly-touted prospect says A LOT about his immense struggles. But the presence of Cade Cunningham and Jaden Ivey also didn’t leave much room for Hayes to grow into his own with Detroit.”

The Hayes experiment failed in Detroit, and the Bulls already have plenty of solid guards, but maybe Chicago could get something out of him.

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DeMar DeRozan ‘would like to return’ to Bulls this summer

DeMar DeRozan would reportedly like to return to the Chicago Bulls after his current contract expires.

For another year, the Chicago Bulls were inactive at the trade deadline. They had multiple assets they could have flipped in exchange for draft capital, thus planning for the future, but instead, they stood pat. And while the front office is content with being a low-tier playoff team, the fanbase is getting more and more frustrated.

One of the guys they could have (and perhaps should have) moved was DeMar DeRozan, who is in the final year of his contract. The Bulls and DeRozan haven’t come to an agreement on a contract extension yet, meaning he could potentially leave in free agency.

However, according to Sam Amick of The Athletic, DeRozan would like to remain in Chicago past this year.

“Meanwhile, DeMar DeRozan is still playing at a high level and will be an unrestricted free agent after this season,” Amick wrote. “That’s typically a formula for a deal when a team is mired in mediocrity, but these Bulls will now look to keep the 34-year-old this summer. A league source with knowledge of DeRozan’s situation said he is happy there and would like to return — if the money is right.”

But that last tidbit Amick added is perhaps the most important part of the paragraph – “if the money is right.” Chicago took a huge risk by not trading DeRozan at the deadline.

The two sides weren’t able to come to an agreement on a contract extension this past summer, and if nothing changes, DeRozan, who will be an unrestricted free agent, could simply take another deal and leave the Bulls high and dry this summer.

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Andre Drummond on his name being in countless trade rumors: ‘I control what I can control’

“There’s nothing I can do about it. If (a trade) happens, it happens,” said Drummond.

Andre Drummond doesn’t know if he will still be a Chicago Bulls big man by the end of the day tomorrow, but if it is bothering the UConn alum, he isn’t letting it show too much. “I control what I can control,” said Drummond to the Chicago Sun Times’ Joe Cowley. “I’ve been doing this for 12 years.”

“It didn’t change then, it won’t change now,” he continued, Drummond’s name in the news as the most likely Bull to be dealt ahead of the Feb. 8 deadline. “There’s nothing I can do about it. If (a trade) happens, it happens.”

“If it doesn’t, great,” he offered. “Whatever jersey I put on … Chicago Bulls is who I play for now.”

“Either way, I’m just going to come in and do my job on a daily basis,” said Drummond. “Great night for me (Tuesday), great night for the team and an excellent win. Enjoying the moment.”

The NBA’s 2024 trade deadline ends tomorrow, Feb. 8 at 2 p.m. CT.

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