Six-time All-Star Chicago Bulls small forward DeMar DeRozan is on the verge of reaching free agency this summer if he can't come to terms with management on a contract extension by June 30.
The 6-foot-6 swingman was his typical high-scoring self last season as the top offensive option for a middling play-in squad, in the NBA's junior varsity conference. Across 79 regular season contests, the former USC Trojan averaged 24 points on .480/.333/.853 shooting splits, 5.3 assists, 4.3 rebounds, 1.1 steals, and 0.6 blocks per game for the 39-43 Bulls.
Per K.C. Johnson of NBCS Sports Chicago, the three-time All-NBA honoree was tendered a two-year, $80 million contract extension offer already, but reportedly turned it down in search of a deal that could stretch beyond just two seasons.
Team president Arturas Karnisovas has already been uncharacteristically active as far as his transactions go this offseason, flipping the team's best two-way player, All-Defensive Second Team shooting guard Alex Caruso, to the Oklahoma City Thunder in exchange for former No. 6 lottery pick Josh Giddey.
Although the 34-year-old DeRozan had initially been considered likely to re-sign with the lowly Bulls despite the team having missed the playoffs for two consecutive seasons, the decision to offload the club's top perimeter defender and one of its best offensive role players (in 71 games, Caruso averaged 10.1 points on .468/.408/.760 shooting splits, 3.8 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 1.7 steals, and one block, while connecting on 40.8 percent of his 4.7 3-point tries a game) could alter his calculus.
Giddey is a solid prospect with high offensive upside, and already a great facilitator and talented rebounder for his size and position. But he's a lackluster defender and poor jump shooter, on a team that sorely needs both those skills and just traded them out the door in the form of Caruso. It sure looks to be a soft-tanking move from Karnisovas, albeit in a ridiculous trade that somehow failed to poach even one pick from the Thunder's epic stash of future draft assets.
The Caruso deal marked Karnisovas' first player-involved transaction since Aug. 2021, and just his second overall in that time. While Giddey the asset is an intriguing long-term play, the trade itself was wanting.
Chicago got appreciably worse for wear in the deal, and there have been rumblings that the Bulls are looking to offload their priciest player, injury-prone former two-time All-Star shooting guard Zach LaVine (who's still owed at least $89 million across the next two seasons, plus, potentially a $49 million player option for 2026-27). Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports has reported that the Sacramento Kings, who once inked LaVine to a four-season, $80 million deal back when he was a restricted free agent, are possibly the top candidates to land his services this year.
About the writer
Newsweek contributing writer Alex Kirschenbaum is a hoops fanatic who has managed to parlay his passion into a writing career. ... Read more
