The Chicago Bulls are already making news ahead of the 2023-24 NBA season for all the wrong reasons, with the storied franchise seemingly ready to blow up their roster if things aren’t trending in the right direction ahead of the NBA trade deadline in February.
Zach LaVine’s name has already been mentioned as a trade candidate, with the team potentially ready to move on from their best player this year, and now it seems DeMar DeRozan might be in the same boat.
DeRozan, like LaVine, gets mentioned in trade rumors every year, but this year might be a bit different, with a likelihood he could be on the move now more than ever.
According to Brian Windhorst of ESPN, if DeRozan decides against signing an extension with the Bulls he’ll be a trade candidate, via NBACentral.
DeMar DeRozan is a potential trade candidate if he doesn’t sign an extension with Chicago, per @WindhorstESPN
“One guy to keep an eye on, for everybody, the whole league, this year is DeMar DeRozan. If he doesn’t extend with the Bulls, I think he becomes a trade target as the… pic.twitter.com/qsMKTvWGuV
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) October 20, 2023
The DeRozan development isn’t all that surprising, as the Bulls franchise won’t want to let him walk in NBA free agency next summer because he’ll be playing in the last year of his deal that will pay him $28.6 million, which is a fairly easy contract to move in comparison to LaVine.
LaVine’s deal is massive, as he’ll make $40 million this year, $43 million next year, and $45.9 million after that with a player option for the 2026-27 NBA season at $48.9 million.
It’s not that LaVine isn’t a talented player or a desirable addition for another team in the league; this deal would be very tough to absorb, making a trade difficult.
DeRozan, however, is the perfect kind of trade candidate, with an expiring deal at a low number for a player who can make an impact right away.
NEXT: Bulls Guard Discusses Ongoing Competition For Starting Roles
