Tag: DeMar DeRozan

San Antonio Spurs considered best free agency landing spot for DeMar DeRozan

We think the fit a great one as well.

Who doesn’t love a good reunion? That is not where the logic of a recent analysis by Bleacher Report’s Grant Hughes on the best and worst landing spots for former Spurs and current Chicago Bulls veteran wing DeMar DeRozan stops, however.

We won’t spend time on the worst landing spot Hughes found for DeRozan (the Charlotte Hornets — is any time really needed?). But we do agree the fit for the USC alum makes plenty of sense with the San Antonio Spurs if a more traditional floor general does not become available. “DeRozan has averaged more than 5.0 assists in six of his last seven seasons, and he even posted a career-high 6.9 dimes per game back in 2020-21, the last of his three years with the Spurs,” writes the B/R league analyst.

“Though his facilitation wouldn’t come as a high-volume pick-and-roll orchestrator, DeRozan has shown an ability to distribute from the elbows and out of isolation sets when he draws a second defender,” adds Hughes.

“A little individual shot creation wouldn’t hurt either, considering San Antonio ranked 26th in offensive efficiency last season,” he suggests.

In our eyes, DeRozan is not a point guard substitute, but instead a veteran ball mover who can aid the growth of whatever younger talent the Spurs draft to play at the 1. Semantics aside, we think the fit a great one as well.

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Evaluating a potential DeMar DeRozan fit for Sixers in free agency

Could DeMar DeRozan be a nice fit for the Philadelphia 76ers in the upcoming free agency market?

The Philadelphia 76ers are expected to bring in another max player in the upcoming offseason to team up with Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey in an effort to take down the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference.

President of Basketball Operations Daryl Morey will have his eyes set on big names such as Paul George and LeBron James. However, if he can’t reel in one of those big names, maybe a guy like DeMar DeRozan makes sense for this group.

DeRozan is set to be a free agent and has been a star for the entirety of his career. He has been an All-Star in two of his three seasons with the Chicago Bulls, and he has career averages of 21.2 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 4.1 assists. He will have plenty of suitors once free agency hits on June 30.

Bleacher Report wrote this on DeRozan’s potential free agency fit in Philadelphia:

If the Philadelphia 76ers strike out on signing LeBron James and Paul George this summer and can’t work out a trade for Jimmy Butler or Brandon Ingram with no players to send back in return, both the Sixers and DeRozan should have mutual interest.

Signing the six-time All-Star as a third offensive option next to Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey could still leave Philly with $20 million in cap space, enough to pursue another starter or try to re-sign players such as De’Anthony Melton, Kelly Oubre Jr. and Kyle Lowry.

DeRozan averaged 24.0 points, 4.3 rebounds, 5.3 assists, 1.1 steals and shot 48.0 percent overall this past season. His durability (74 games or more in all three years with the Bulls) is important for the Sixers given Embiid’s injury history.

DeRozan is an elite mid-range scorer able to put on a masterclass by pulling up in the middle of the floor and knocking down tough shots. The biggest bugaboo of his career has been his lack of a 3-point shot. For his career, he shoots just 29.6% from deep on 1.6 attempts in his 15-year career.

However, DeRozan did shoot 33.6% from deep on 2.2 attempts during his time with the Bulls. One has to wonder if those numbers will continue to go up being back with coach Nick Nurse who he has experience with in Toronto.

One also has to believe that if Maxey continues to be a deadly shooter from deep, then the floor will continue to be spaced for Embiid and DeRozan to do what they do on the offensive end. DeRozan is a true pro and if the Sixers don’t get one of those big names, he should be at the top of Morey’s list.

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DeMar DeRozan on Dillon Brooks scuffle: ‘I just don’t like him’

“I’m not going to lie, I just don’t like him,” Chicago’s DeMar DeRozan says of his March scuffle with Houston’s Dillon Brooks. “Don’t walk up behind me.”

Chicago Bulls star DeMar DeRozan and veteran Rockets forward Dillon Brooks were both ejected in a March 21 game at Houston.

DeRozan committed a flagrant foul (seemingly out of frustration) against Houston’s Jalen Green, who went down and writhed in pain after DeRozan’s hard contact to Green’s upper leg.

From there, Brooks immediately came to the defense of his teammate and intervened. From there, a physical altercation ensued in which both players had to be separated by teammates and coaches.

No punches were thrown, though both were ejected. DeRozan was given a flagrant-two foul for his contact with Green, while Brooks was handed a technical foul and an ejection for retaliating.

During a recent episode of The 25/10 Show (hosted by DeSean Jackson and LeSean McCoy, former NFL stars with the Philadelphia Eagles), DeRozan discussed the altercation and said he was upset that Brooks had come up from behind him, when he wasn’t looking.

Among DeRozan’s comments:

I’m not going to lie, I just don’t like him. And for two, don’t walk up behind me. That’s rule number one, don’t walk up on no man behind him when his back’s turned.

Don’t run up behind me, and just don’t talk s–t. I respect everybody.

The full podcast can be viewed below, with discussion of the Houston incident starting at the 1:19:15 mark. As for the initial contact, DeRozan acknowledged being frustrated from a previous play and said he “wasn’t trying to hit him that hard.” He called it “a nudge.”

Jackson and McCoy didn’t buy that innocent explanation, however, and they jokingly referred to it as a football play.

(Less than a minute earlier, Green had blocked DeRozan at the rim, and DeRozan suggested that words were exchanged after.)

In postgame comments at the time, DeRozan said his contact wasn’t intentional or malicious, but that’s not how Brooks saw it. Thus, Brooks didn’t wait around when delivering his response.

It’s not how Rockets coach Ime Udoka saw it, either. “A guy takes a hit, and teammates are going to stand up for each other,” Udoka said.

The 2024-25 NBA schedule will be released in August, and that’s when we’ll learn the next potential DeRozan-Brooks meeting.

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DeMar DeRozan to the Los Angeles Clippers? Zach LaVine to the Orlando Magic? No thanks

Not everyone is crazy about Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan trade rumbles.

As soon as the league calendar flips to the offseason for the Chicago Bulls (or any ball club in the NBA), one can begin to consider the annual arrival of what some call “silly season” because of all of the nonsensical rumors one begins to hear.

This is of course teams, players, and agents using the media for leverage in making deals, inking contracts, or trying to force trades. And while all may be fair in love and war, when it comes to the fan experience trying to decode what is real and what is a smoke screen, the arrival of so-called silly season can actually be quite maddening.

So when the folks behind the “Bulls Central” YouTube channel put together a clip talking about how they feel regarding rumors of veteran Bulls wing DeMar DeRozan ending up with the Los Angeles Clippers, or star Chicago guard Zach LaVine with the Orlando Magic, we understand where they are coming from.

To hear their gripes about the ubiquity of such rumbles at this time of year (or any), check out the clip embedded above.

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Bulls predicted to retain DeMar DeRozan in free agency

Will DeMar DeRozan return to the Chicago Bulls in free agency?

The Chicago Bulls need to figure out what direction they want to go in this summer. One of the biggest decisions they need to make is whether or not to bring back DeMar DeRozan. Aaron Kellerstrass of Pippen Ain’t Easy believes there is a 90% chance that DeRozan ends up coming back to Chicago next year.

“The Bulls are in a tough situation here, as DeRozan is the heart of the team, their best player and they can’t let him walk for nothing,” Kellerstrass wrote. “But he’s also soon to be 35 years old, so Chicago can’t go crazy with the years in whatever contract they offer him. DeRozan has expressed interest in staying and that seems to be mutual, so I expect them to work out a deal. However, if DeRozan wanted to go chase a ring with a team like Philly, they have cap space and could come sniffing around if they strike out on other targets.

“Unless the Bulls pull off an unlikely sign-and-trade, DeRozan will probably be in Chicago next season.”

Depending on the price, bringing back DeRozan is a pretty “meh” choice for the Bulls.

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Reacting to DeMar DeRozan-Clippers and Zach LaVine-76ers rumors

Could the Chicago Bulls lose Zach LaVine to the Philadelphia 76ers and DeMar DeRozan to the LA Clippers?

By the time the 2024-25 season starts, the Chicago Bulls roster could look a lot different than it does now. They have the potential to make a ton of different moves this summer, and it would make a ton of sense for them to start planning for the future, rebuilding around Coby White, who looks like a star in the making.

Over the last few weeks, multiple rumors have surfaced regarding the Bulls’ current stars leaving Chicago for other teams. Zach LaVine has been connected to the Philadelphia 76ers in trade rumors, and DeMar DeRozan has been linked to the LA Clippers in free agency rumors.

The CHGO Sports YouTube channel recently discussed these two ideas and what they would mean for the Bulls moving forward.

If the Bulls want to commit to a new rebuild with White at the helm, getting rid of LaVine and letting DeRozan walk make sense as two of the first steps in the process.

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Chicago Bulls predicted to lose DeMar DeRozan in free agency

Could the Chicago Bulls lose DeMar DeRozan in free agency?

The Chicago Bulls roster could look a lot different next season. Most notably, star forward DeMar DeRozan will be a free agent, and Chicago could lose him for nothing. In fact, Andy Bailey of Bleacher Report predicts that just that will happen: The Bulls will lose DeRozan in free agency.

“A full-scale reboot is long overdue for the Chicago Bulls, and that includes moving or losing Nikola Vučević and DeMar DeRozan. The latter, despite turning 35 in August and having a career 29.6 three-point percentage, could have some interest around the league as a second or third option, or more ideally, a heat-check scorer off the bench.

“In fact, there might even be a contender in the mix for him. According to [HoopsHype’s Michael] Scotto, “one team worth monitoring as a potential suitor for DeRozan via sign-and-trade is the Los Angeles Clippers, should the franchise fail to re-sign Paul George in free agency…” Functionally replacing George with DeRozan could cramp up the Clippers’ offense, but he’d get better looks in L.A., playing off of Kawhi Leonard and (presumably) James Harden. And if Chicago can get any value for DeRozan in a sign-and-trade rather than losing him in free agency for nothing, it should jump at the chance.”

Losing DeRozan for nothing after failing to trade him this past year would be brutal.

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DeMar DeRozan listed as Lakers dream free agency target this summer

Could the Los Angeles Lakers steal DeMar DeRozan from the Chicago Bulls in free agency?

The Chicago Bulls have some big-time decisions to make this summer, and one of them revolves around whether or not to re-sign DeMar DeRozan. Other teams could try to steal him away. According to Greg Swartz of Bleacher Report, DeRozan could be a dream free agency target for the Los Angeles Lakers.

“This is quite a pipe dream, especially since DeMar DeRozan could make eight times as much money by returning to the Chicago Bulls next season,” Swartz wrote. “Still, DeRozan himself hasn’t ruled out signing with the Los[lawrence-auto-related count=3] Angeles Lakers, who were his favorite team while he grew up in Compton, California.

“For a player who’s made over a quarter-billion dollars in his NBA career (not counting endorsements), taking the Lakers’ $5.2 million taxpayer MLE and joining LeBron James (a potential free agent himself), Anthony Davis, Austin Reaves, Rui Hachimura and others on a Lakers team packed with talent may be appealing for DeRozan. DeRozan might not be a perfect fit, but he is easily the most talented player whom the Lakers would have a chance at signing with their taxpayer MLE.”

If DeRozan signed with the Lakers, he would get a chance to play for one of his home-town teams.

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Could veteran Chicago Bulls wing DeMar DeRozan leave the team in free agency to join the Los Angeles Clippers?

How much should Bulls fans be worried about losing DeRozan for nothing?

Could veteran Chicago Bulls wing DeMar DeRozan leave the team in free agency to join the Los Angeles Clippers? With the team’s offseason here in full force and the rumor mill in need of something to grind, it is wise to approach all such offseason chatter with a hefty grain of salt.

But on the other side of the proverbial coin, the very nature of the unrestricted free agency DeRozan is currently making the most of implies that very thing could indeed end up happening is the Bulls do not convince him to stay with the team. How much should Bulls fans be worried about losing DeRozan for nothing?

The hosts of the “Locked On Bulls” podcast, Haize and Pat the Designer, took some time on a recent show to explore just such a possibility in light of the rumors we have all been hearing.

Take a look at the clip embedded above to hear what they had to say.

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Report: Clippers could target Demar DeRozan if Paul George leaves

The LA Clippers could go after Chicago Bulls forward DeMar DeRozan in free agency.

The Chicago Bulls could lose DeMar DeRozan this summer. He’s set to be an unrestricted free agent this summer, and while the Bulls supposedly want to bring him back, other teams could look to steal him away. According to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, the LA Clippers could consider bringing in DeRozan if Paul George leaves. DeRozan, a Compton native, would get the chance to play for his hometown team. (H/t Elias Schuster of Bleacher Nation)

“As previously reported on HoopsHype following the lottery, there’s a belief around the league that DeRozan will ultimately re-sign with the Bulls, given the team’s continued desire to compete, his role, and Chicago’s willingness to pay him,” Scotto wrote.

“However, one team worth monitoring as a potential suitor for DeRozan via sign-and-trade is the Los Angeles Clippers, should the franchise fail to re-sign Paul George in free agency, HoopsHype has learned.”

Chicago wants DeRozan back, but his future is wholly uncertain.

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