Tag: DeMar DeRozan

3 NBA teams floated as ‘best landing spots’ for DeMar DeRozan trade

Could these three teams be good destinations for Chicago Bulls star DeMar DeRozan?

If the Chicago Bulls are truly committed to preparing for the future, they should let DeMar DeRozan go this summer. At the very least, they should look to sign and trade him, ushering in a new era in Chicago. Greg Swartz of Bleacher Report recently listed a few teams as potential “best landing spots” for DeRozan in his article titled “5 NBA Stars on the Wrong Team.” He listed the Philadelphia 76ers, Los Angeles Lakers, and Miami Heat.

Philadelphia will be looking to reshape their roster around Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey, the Lakers are doing the same with LeBron James and Anthony Davis, and the Heat seem to be entering a weird transition period.

Regardless of where he ends up, letting DeRozan go would be the best way for the Bulls to start a new era of the organization.

Paying him a bunch of money just to help the team continue their path of mediocrity would be counterintuitive.

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Bulls forward DeMar DeRozan listed among ‘stars on the wrong team’

Is Chicago Bulls star DeMar DeRozan just on the wrong team?

The Chicago Bulls changed the course of their organization three years ago. Now, they find themselves at a crossroads, with some very important decisions to make this offseason. One of them is whether or not to re-sign DeMar DeRozan, who Greg Swartz of Bleacher Report believes is “on the wrong team.”

“DeRozan isn’t a perfect fit in any system, however,” Swartz wrote. “He’s a ball-dominant wing who takes a ton of mid-range shots and isn’t a high-level defender. DeRozan would be an ideal sixth man at some point with his instant offense, although the six-time All-Star should still be seeking starting opportunities. A sign-and-trade might help DeRozan get more money than he could make signing outright as a free agent in most places and help get him to a contender. The Philadelphia 76ers will be on the search for wings this offseason, while the Los Angeles Lakers and Miami Heat ranked 15th or worse offensively this year and could use DeRozan’s scoring punch.

“However, teams over either salary-cap apron can’t acquire players via sign-and-trade, and both the Lakers and Heat are currently projected to be over the first apron next year, per Spotrac. They’d have some financial hurdles to overcome if they wanted to acquire DeRozan this summer.”

If the Bulls want to move forward with a fresh start, they shouldn’t being back DeRozan.

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DeMar DeRozan could be one of the most overpaid players this offseason

Will Chicago Bulls star DeMar DeRozan end up being one of the most overpaid players this offseason?

As the Chicago Bulls move forward this summer, they should be looking to make some significant roster changes in hopes of avoiding the continuous cycle of mediocrity they’ve found themselves stuck in. The current roster isn’t working, and it’s time to shake it up. But what does that entail?

DeMar DeRozan is going to be an unrestricted free agent this summer, and reports have indicated that Chicago could look to give him a deal worth roughly $40 million annually. But that could end up being a massive overpay if the Bulls continue to perform at the same level they have been for the past few years.

The Chicago Bulls Central YouTube channel recently discussed the notion that DeRozan could end up being one of the most overpaid players in free agency this summer.

At 34 years old, DeRozan is entering the final years of his career, and giving him a massive contract could be something a team seriously regrets.

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DeMar DeRozan contract situation could be out of Bulls’ hands

Is it for the best that the DeMar DeRozan situation may be out of the Chicago Bulls’ hands?

The Chicago Bulls need to figure out what they want to do with DeMar DeRozan this summer. The veteran forward is an unrestricted free agent and they must decide if they want to bring him back or let him walk. However, according to Julia Poe of the Chicago Tribune, the fact that the decision is slightly out of their hands could be for the best.

“The Bulls already landed on an initial price, according to an NBC Sports Chicago report: $40 million a year for the next two seasons,” Poe wrote. “This number is confusing for several reasons, not the least because it could force the Bulls to tiptoe near if not over the luxury-tax cutoff to maintain essentially the same core group that has been unsuccessful.

“A potential saving grace for the Bulls is that this decision is somewhat out of their hands. After the play-in loss in Miami, DeRozan cracked open the door to signing elsewhere as he admitted to frustration — and a rare sliver of concern over his age. Even if the front office highballs DeRozan, it’s possible he would choose a potential path to a ring or proximity to his family over the highest bidder.”

Re-signing DeRozan for a massive price would be a tough look for a Bulls team that should be looking to make serious roster changes.

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Who will be the Chicago Bulls’ toughest free agency decision?

There’s a strong case to hang onto the Compton native.

Who will be the Chicago Bulls’ toughest free agency decision this coming 2024 NBA offseason? The Bulls don’t have too many major decisions to make in that regard, but our friends at Bleacher Report have an idea of who they think it is. According to B/R’s Andy Hughes, the free agent in mind most likely to divide Chicago’s front office is DeMar DeRozan.

“If the Chicago Bulls were like most teams, they wouldn’t have a decision to make on DeMar DeRozan at all…because he wouldn’t even be on the roster,” writes Hughes, noting that most .500 ball clubs would have already dealt DeRozan at the last trade deadline.

But as Bulls fans know all too well, that did not happen. And if the Bulls are to hope to retain talent and cap space to build out this version of the team, there’s a strong case to hang onto the Compton native.

“Even if little competition for DeRozan’s services emerges, the Bulls must still be careful about their spending,” suggests the B/R analyst.

“Or, at least that would be the case for a team that ever planned to free up room, bottom out and build a roster capable of winning more than 40-something games.”

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DeMar DeRozan listed among players most likely to get overpaid

Will Chicago Bulls star DeMar DeRozan get overpaid this offseason?

Heading into this offseason, the Chicago Bulls have some tough decisions to make, and one of the toughest is what to do with DeMar DeRozan. The veteran wing is going to be a free agent, and the Bulls need to figure out if they want to bring him back and, more importantly, how much they are willing to pay him. Andy Bailey of Bleacher Report believes DeRozan will end up getting overpaid this offseason.

“At the outset, it should be noted that DeMar DeRozan is coming off one of the best three-year stretches of his decorated career,” Bailey wrote. “As a Chicago Bull, he’s averaged 25.5 points and 5.1 assists. He has a 10th-place MVP finish. And after his teams were plus-0.0 points per 100 possessions with him on the floor and plus-2.8 with him off it over the first 12 years of his career, that trend has flipped in Chicago. Over the last three years, the Bulls are plus-0.4 with DeRozan and minus-1.4 without him.

“But DeRozan will be 35 before the 2024-25 campaign starts. He was a minus defender this season, according to Dunks and Threes’ estimated plus-minus (one of the most trusted catch-all metrics in NBA front offices). And he’s still not a reliable three-point shooter in a league in which that skill has become almost crucial for guards and wings. His reputation and the fact that this is a relatively weak free-agent class mean he’ll probably sign another contract that will pay him around $20 million annually, but that will feel onerous by the end of the deal, when DeRozan is well into his late 30s.”

Paying DeRozan a massive chunk of change seems like a mistake for the Bulls.

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If LeBron James is stuck with the Lakers, it’s worse for DeMar DeRozan

LeBron is a great player on an underachieving team. DeMar DeRozan is a great player on a mediocre team.

The drama surrounding LeBron James is profound, after the Los Angeles Lakers got eliminated from the NBA playoffs by the Denver Nuggets. Yet, if you think LeBron is stuck and in an uncomfortable position with his NBA team, it’s hardly the worst example of such a situation. It’s even worse for Chicago Bulls guard and USC Trojans legend DeMar DeRozan.

Never mind that DeRozan was a finalist for the NBA Clutch Player of the Year Award (won by Stephen Curry). Never mind that DeRozan took pride in his accomplishments this past season.

“Leading the league in fourth-quarter scoring means a lot. It just shows the trust my teammates and coaches have in me,” DeRozan said.

Never mind that DeRozan led the NBA in fourth-quarter and overtime points, scoring 550 and a Bulls franchise record 56, respectively.

Never mind that DeRozan was an iron man for the Bulls this past season, playing nearly 3,000 minutes. The player himself is fantastic, but his situatio with his NBA team is grim and dreary.

The Chicago Bulls have been eliminated in the play-in round each of the past two NBA seasons. They are good enough to make the play-in round, not good enough to get past it, and not bad enough that they can get elite draft picks to rebuild. They are stuck in purgatory, far more than LeBron James and the Lakers are. The Lakers could grab a few pieces which might increase their upside. The Bulls have a stagnant organization with no clear desire to get a lot better. Owner Jerry Reinsdorf doesn’t like being terrible, but he doesn’t mind being mediocre and living in the mushy middle of the NBA.

DeRozan is doing what he can for the Bulls, but the Bulls aren’t doing all they can for him. It’s a shame.

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Projecting DeMar DeRozan’s future with the Chicago Bulls

It matters what the Compton native wants at this later stage of his career.

The looming free agency of veteran Chicago Bulls wing DeMar DeRozan is hard to predict, but that does not stop NBA analysts from trying. Will the University of Southern California alum return to the Bulls, or decamp to another ball club, given where Chicago is as an organization?

It matters what the Compton native wants at this later stage of his career. Does DeRozan prefer security and continuity? Does he want to chase another title? And how is the market for his services on other teams with the cap space to sign him? It does take two to tango, after all.

To try to get to the bottom of whatever it is that DeRozan may end up doing in free agency, the hosts of the “CHGO Bulls” podcast took a deep dive on his future with the team on a recent episode of their show.

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

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Why the Chicago Bulls might be forced to extend DeMar DeRozan

Will DeRozan sign a deal for an imperfect fit that could see him dealt elsewhere soon?

The Chicago Bulls might be forced to extend veteran free agent wing DeMar DeRozan if they do not want to lose his services (and cap space) for nothing. The Bulls’ lack of proactive thinking ahead of the NBA’s 2024 trade deadline has put them in something of a precarious position in terms of what DeRozan’s contract can do for the future of the Bulls.

While the Bulls wing is clearly a win-now player that may not be the best fit for Chicago’s current partial rebuild situation, he could also be a helpful mentor and his contract a potential trade asset.

But will DeRozan sign a deal for an imperfect fit that could see him dealt elsewhere soon?

The folks behind the “Bulls Central” YouTube channel recently took a deep dive into the DeRozan conundrum on a recent episode of their show. Take a look at the clip above to hear what they had to say.

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Bulls’ DeMar DeRozan welcomes Bears QB Caleb Williams to Chicago

Chicago Bulls star DeMar DeRozan welcomed new Chicago Bears QB Caleb Williams to the city.

In the 1990s, the city of Chicago was run by the Chicago Bulls. Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, and those Bulls teams reigned supreme. Since then, there hasn’t been much success in the city of Chicago. The Chicago White Sox won a ring in 2005, Chicago Fire FC won in 2006, the Chicago Blackhawks won a title in 2015, the Chicago Bulls took home a World Series in 2016, and the Chicago Sky won it all in 2021. Nothing from the Bulls or the Chicago Bears.

Now, the Bears have a new, bright future ahead of them, and first-overall-pick Caleb Williams is set to lead the charge at quarterback.

Bulls star DeMar DeRozan recently welcomed him to the city.

“On behalf of Chicago and the Bulls, we want to welcome you, Caleb,” DeRozan said. “To the family. To the city. You’re gonna do big things. And fight on.”

Perhaps Williams can help the Bears get on that list of champions since the Jordan Bulls.

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