If the Bulls plan to make a legitimate playoff push, they will need to call in some reinforcements.
And according to Bleacher Report’s Jake Fischer, they may be prepared to do just that: “There’s a faction of the Chicago front office that feels adding one piece such as DeRozan could push the Bulls firmly into the postseason, sources said.”
Let me say this: DeMar DeRozan is not a name I expected to hear tied to the Bulls. However, if the organization is this serious about cracking the postseason for the first time since 2017, this could be a good way to do it.
DeRozan, 31, is a versatile four-time All-Star who is averaging 20.6 points, 7.4 assists, and 4.5 points per game. He has helped lead a rather young and inexperienced San Antonio Spurs team to a 22-18 record (7th) in the Western Conference. While I’d be a bit skeptical of his fit alongside the ball-dominant Zach LaVine, he would surely upgrade the Bulls firepower over the last 30 games of the season. Not to mention, he has turned into a more focused playmaker in recent years.
On top of that, it’s not logistically hard to absorb his contract. DeRozan is making $27.7 million this season before hitting unrestricted free agency this summer, which means the deal could get done rather effortlessly by including Otto Porter’s $28.5 million into the deal. The problem, though, is that San Antonio probably wouldn’t make things that easy. While they don’t have much leverage with DeRozan expected to find a new home this offseason, I have to imagine they would ask for more from a team that obviously seems eager to make the playoffs.
In broader terms, Fischer’s comment states that “a faction” of the front office believes a move like acquiring DeRozan would be the way to go. I find that phrasing interesting because it implies a potential divide in the preferred approach. At the end of the day, I do think everyone is mostly on the same page, but I am very curious to know which side of the spectrum Arturas Karnisovas falls on.
We should also keep in mind that the use of the term “such as” could tell us that there are other high-impact veterans the Bulls are considering. I’m not sure exactly who that would be – especially on an expiring contract – but I guess it could be only a matter of time before we find out.