NEWSLETTER
Zach LaVine has been the Chicago Bulls player dominating headlines, but DeMar DeRozan’s situation may be just as pressing.
Heading toward unrestricted free agency this offseason, the Bulls must decide what the future holds for the six-time All-Star. Reports already state that the two sides have held contract extension negotiations, but they have also been far apart on any kind of deal. DeRozan is surely looking for one last big payday after stringing together back-to-back All-Star appearances in Chicago. Meanwhile, the Bulls likely have concerns about paying top dollar for a 34-year-old, especially now that they’ve seen the year begin with a 6-14 start.
Not to mention, it’s now undoubtedly in DeRozan’s best interest to see which direction this front office goes. If the organization does opt for a rebuild of sorts – which feels increasingly likely – it would only make sense for the veteran to seek out a more competitive environment. And if this is the most likely outcome for DeRozan, the Bulls need to seek out a trade partner ASAP. The last thing they want to do is avoid losing him for nothing once free agency arrives.
We have yet to hear of much trade traction with DeRozan thanks to the LaVine madness. But Sam Amick of The Athletic finally provided us with an update, even reporting two preferred landing spots for the forward.
“When it comes to possible destinations, the Heat and Knicks are known to be preferable to DeRozan if he winds up getting moved. Our Jovan Buha revealed recently that the Lakers are interested in DeRozan (and former Laker Alex Caruso) more than LaVine, which makes perfect sense to anyone who remembers how LeBron James courted DeRozan three summers ago,” Amick wrote.
While we’ve already written about the Los Angeles Lakers‘ interest in a DeRozan trade, this is the first time we’ve heard anything about where the man himself might like to go. As far as I’m concerned, that tells me that the reality of a deal getting done is possibly setting in more and more for all parties.
DeRozan’s interest in both the Heat and Knicks makes plenty of sense. Obviously, Miami has been a mainstay in the Eastern Conference Finals the past few years, and they’re fresh off an NBA Finals appearance against the Denver Nuggets.
As for New York, they’re a big market team that finally looks ready to be a staple in the playoff picture. DeRozan could see a potential home there past this season, as they look to add some more star talent around Jalen Brunson and a deep supporting cast.
The question now, of course, is whether or not either of those two teams will have interest in DeRozan. Considering they’re very much in the postseason mix, it may not be too difficult for them to talk themselves into someone with DeRozan experience. However, trading for him could mean paying him his next contract. His isolation mid-range game also isn’t necessarily the easiest to incorporate mid-season.
I guess we’ll just have to see how the market materializes. Once again, the big takeaway here is just that DeMar DeRozan now reportedly has a couple of potential landing spots in mind, and I think that tells us a lot about which direction things could be headed.
