2: DeMar DeRozan
The Bulls have been doing everything to avoid the hard truth that it’s time for a rebuild. In the past six years, Chicago has made the playoffs once, a first-round exit against Milwaukee in 2022.
DeMar DeRozan is entering the third and final year of the three-year, $85 million contract he signed in 2021. He’s averaged 26.2 points, 5.0 assists, and 4.9 rebounds per game with the Bulls, shooting 50.4% from the field and 33.8% from three.
Chicago finished No. 10 in the East last season with a 40-42 record, and the organization’s biggest move of the offseason was re-signing Nikola Vucevic to a three-year, $60 million contract. Granted, the Bulls were dealt a tough hand when it was reported Lonzo Ball would miss another season, but the team isn’t going to do much in 2023-24.
If Chicago tries to trade DeRozan before he’s set to enter free agency if the two sides don’t agree to an extension, New York shouldn’t think too much about making a move for the 34-year-old forward. Yes, he was named an All-Star the past two years, but the Knicks need to keep hold of their assets for a star, not a player who is looking for a big payday.