Tag: DeMar DeRozan

Projecting the future of the Chicago Bulls: DeMar DeRozan

What will the Chicago Bulls do with DeMar DeRozan this offseason?

When the Chicago Bulls signed DeMar DeRozan in 2021, many people said it was a terrible deal. However, since DeRozan has been in Chicago, he’s done nothing but prove those people wrong. The veteran forward has returned to All-Star form, yet the Bulls haven’t experienced the same level of success as a team.

Now, after a second straight losing season, the Bulls face some difficult decisions in the summer. DeRozan’s contract is up, and they didn’t move him at the deadline. Recent rumblings have indicated the Bulls could potentially choose to re-sign DeRozan to a massive contract, but if they want to plan for the future, that shouldn’t be a part of it.

In reality, the Bulls have stuck by their current core feverishly for the past three years, and it seems fairly likely that they will end up keeping DeRozan around.

What should happen: The Bulls cut their losses and let DeRozan walk, ushering in a new era of Chicago basketball led by Coby White and a new-look young core.

What will happen: Chicago will probably find a middle ground and bring back DeRozan on a short-term contract that ranges from $25 to $30 million per season.

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Lack of playmaking and playoff experience seriously hurt Bulls Big 3

The Chicago Bulls Big 3 had some serious problems that prevented them from having real success.

In 2021, the Chicago Bulls decided to completely shake up their roster. No more rebuilding. They wanted to win. At the deadline, they made a monster move for Nikola Vuevic, sending big-time assets to the Orlando Magic. And the following summer, they brought in DeMar DeRozan, creating a Big 3 of him, Zach LaVine, and Vucevic. Unfortunately, they’ve been brutal ever since, and Elias Schuster of Bleacher Nation chalks up their failures to two things: Lack of playmaking and a lack of playoff experience.

“Look, I understood the Bulls’ logic from the beginning,” Schuster wrote. “Let’s get three All-Star-level scorers together and try to build one of the more dynamic three-level offenses in the NBA. It sounds fun in theory. But the fact of the matter is that there is only one ball and neither of these three players are particularly gifted playmakers.

“The other big problem was that none of them had seen what winning looks like at the highest level. Nikola Vucevic came to Chicago with 11 total playoff games under his belt and only two playoff wins. Zach LaVine didn’t have a single playoff appearance on his resume at the time. DeMar DeRozan obviously had the most experience thanks to multiple successful years in Toronto, but he built a less-than-ideal reputation for going cold under the spotlight. He also had just one playoff appearance during his three seasons with San Antonio.”

Since the core’s inception, they’ve won just a single playoff game. It’s been a completely and utter failure.

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DeMar DeRozan listed among ‘riskiest’ expensive free agents

Chicago Bulls forward DeMar DeRozan was labeled as one of the “riskiest” free agents of the summer.

The Chicago Bulls have some cutthroat decisions to make this summer. Rumors have indicated their willingness to pay DeMar DeRozan in free agency, but that comes with risks. Greg Swartz of Bleacher Report listed DeRozan among the “riskiest big-money” free agents of the offseason.

“It’s fair to question where DeRozan stands on a championship-level team, though,” Swartz wrote. “He’s set to turn 35 this summer and clearly isn’t a No. 1 option. Even being a No. 2 looks like a bit of a stretch (could a Nikola Jokić-DeRozan combo win a title?), leaving us to consider DeRozan a solid No. 3 option. How many teams would be willing to match the Bulls’ offer of $40 million a year for their third-best player?

“DeRozan returning to the Bulls doesn’t make sense for his own championship aspirations, pending some drastic changes around him. For someone entering his 16th season but with just one conference finals appearance thus far, winning a title has to be at the top of his wish list. That isn’t going to happen in Chicago anytime soon. Exploring sign-and-trade options to a contender may be what’s best for all involved here, especially if DeRozan will accept an annual salary closer to $30 million a year.”

The Bulls aren’t anywhere close to a title contender, so paying DeRozan doesn’t make too much sense. Simultaneously, teams around the league have the right to question whether DeRozan’s playstyle is conducive to winning at the highest level.

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DeMar DeRozan shares simple thought after Bulls’ Play-In loss to Heat

After the Chicago Bulls’ loss to the Miami Heat in the Play-In Tournament, DeMar DeRozan spoke about his team’s missed shots.

Ever since they reshaped their roster in 2021, the Chicago Bulls have been the poster children for mediocrity. After making the playoffs in the first season of having their new core intact, they’ve gone two straight years without a winning record. In both seasons, they found themselves in the Play-In Tournament. And in both seasons, they lost to the Miami Heat.

Chicago got blown to bits on Friday night, losing by a score of 112-91 to the Heat. Just two nights after scoring 131 points against the Atlanta Hawks in the nine-ten Play-In Tournament game, the Bulls’ offense crumbled, as they simply couldn’t find the bottom of the net.

After the game, Bulls star DeMar DeRozan shared a simple thought about Chicago’s offense and the outcome of the game. (H/t ESPN)

“It was tough,” DeRozan said. “We missed a lot of easy shots.”

The Bulls shot just 35-of-92 (38.0%) from the floor and 13-of-43 (30.2%) from beyond the three-point arc.

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.

DeMar DeRozan recalls frustration after 2023 Play-In loss to Heat

Ahead of their rematch, DeMar DeRozan recalled the frustration after the Chicago Bulls’ 2023 loss to the Miami Heat in the Play-In.

The Chicago Bulls took down the Atlanta Hawks in the nine-ten game of the Play-In Tournament on Wednesday night, and now, they are staring a chance at redemption right in the face. For the second year in a row, they are set to face off against the Miami Heat in the second Play-In game with a chance at a playoff spot on the line.

Last year, the Bulls were in control for a lot of the game, only for the Heat to go on a run in the last five minutes, sending Chicago packing. Miami went on to make the NBA Finals, and the Bulls went home sad.

Ahead of their rematch, DeMar DeRozan recalled the bitter feelings that occurred after their loss one year ago. (H/t Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times)

“I remember that plane ride home vividly,” DeRozan said. “Everyone was frustrated. That feeling sucked. I know for me that was one thing on my mind when I realized we’re going back to Miami, not to have that feeling.”

With Jimmy Butler hobbled, the Bulls have a great shot this time around.

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DeMar DeRozan: Bulls-Hawks Play-In Game chance to ‘salvage’ season

DeMar DeRozan says the Play-In game against the Atlanta Hawks will give Chicago Bulls a chance to “salvage” their season.

The Chicago Bulls postseason road is set. And it starts in the Play-In Tournament. They are the ninth seed in the Eastern Conference and will be taking on the tenth-seeded Atlanta Hawks in the first of two games they would need to win in order to make it to the playoffs. It’s going to be hard, but they are ready.

After a season full of ups and downs, the Bulls don’t just want to roll over. They could have rolled over when they started the season 5-14. Instead, they bounced back. They could have rolled over when Zach LaVine was ruled out for the year. But guys stepped up. They don’t want this season to go to waste.

DeMar DeRozan said that the Ply-In game is a chance for the Bulls to “salvage” their season. (H/t Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times)

“I mean it just gives us an opportunity to salvage so much we went through and not let the season go in vain,” DeRozan said. “Everything we went through (this season), now we got opportunity, you know, make some of the season like giving ourselves a chance. We got the opportunity to put our money on the table.”

If the Bulls get past the Hawks, they’ll take on the loser of the seven-eight game between the Philadelphia 76ers and Miami Heat.

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DeMar DeRozan scolds Bulls’ play after tough loss to Magic

After the Chicago Bulls’ loss to the Orlando Magic, DeMar DeRozan spoke about the team’s need to be better.

The Chicago Bulls have entered the point of the season where every game matters. As they fight for their spot in the Play-In Tournament, where they will almost certainly be playing the Atlanta Hawks in the 9-10 game, their play needs to be consistent. They can’t afford to be dropping easy games, and they need to stay competitive in the tough ones.

On Sunday night, the Bulls traveled to Florida to take on the Orlando Magic, who are also fighting for playoff seeding. The Bulls failed to pull through, as the Magic earned a 113-98 victory, improving their standing in the East playoff picture.

After the game, DeMar DeRozan spoke about the team’s need to be better down the stretch of the season. (H/t ESPN)

“We are coming to a point where we can’t play those [erratic] games,” DeRozan said. “The reality is you don’t want the other side of it.”

DeRozan finished the game with 30 points, three rebounds, and five assists while shooting 13-of-22 from the field.

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Which player is the most likely to end up in the Hall of Fame on the Chicago Bulls’ roster?

For the Bulls, the answer is a fairly straightforward one.

Which player is the most likely to end up in the Hall of Fame on the Chicago Bulls‘ roster? This was a hypothetical question posed to all 30 teams in the NBA in a recent article by Bleacher Report league analyst Dan Favale in a recent article.

For the Bulls, the answer is a fairly straightforward one, given this player is already on the cusp of such an honor at this stage of his career. For Favale, the answer in Chicago is clearly DeMar DeRozan. “Six All-Star selections and three All-NBA nods leave DeRozan just short of the baseline ‘inarguable Hall of Famer’ criteria.”

“But the combination of both coupled with his longevity should erase any doubt,” he adds. “Ditto for his career numbers.”

Noting that DeRozan is currently in his sixth season averaging over 20 points and 5 assists per game, the B/R analyst reminds us that out of the 24 players “with as many or more of these campaigns, Stephon Marbury is the only one outside the Hall of Fame or not considered a lock to make it once he retires.”

“Include someone else from the Chicago Bulls roster at your own risk,” he adds, and when you look at the resumes of players like Nikola Vucevic, Zach LaVine, Andre Drummond, and Alex Caruso, it’s hard to disagree.

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DeMar DeRozan pokes fun at Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau after Bulls win

After the Chicago Bulls’ win over the New York Knicks, DeMar DeRozan jpoked fun at Thom Thibodeau.

The Chicago Bulls welcomed the New York Knicks to town on Friday night for a game that meant something to both teams. The Bulls are fighting to maintain home-court advantage in the 9-10 game over the Atlanta Hawks, while the Knicks are trying to keep their spot in the East playoffs, even pushing for home-court advantage in the first round.

Javonte Green played hero for the Bulls, as the veteran forward exploded for 25 points and 13 rebounds. Meanwhile, point guard Jalen Brunson had a 35-point, 11-assist showing for the Knicks. However, the Bulls rode Green’s impressive showing to a 108-100 win in wire-to-wire fashion.

After the game, Bulls star DeMar DeRozan poked fun at Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau. (H/t Julia Poe of the Chicago Tribune)

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen him smile on the sidelines or laugh or crack a joke,” DeRozan joked. “You’ve got to love that in your coach. His attitude is very indicative of the teams he has coached.”

DeRozan put up 20 points and dished out 10 assists against New York.

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