Chicago Bulls rumors have been swirling as the team has made one major move already this offseason. They traded Alex Caruso to the Oklahoma City Thunder in exchange for Josh Giddey. That deal has seemingly opened the door to more major changes when it comes to veteran DeMar DeRozan.
According to Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times, DeMar DeRozan will be seeking a new franchise to join. Trading away Caruso was the final nail in DeRozan’s decision that it was time to leave the Windy City.
“A source told the Sun-Times late Sunday night that the Alex Caruso-Josh Giddey trade was the final straw in DeRozan’s mind for any sort of return, as the 34-year-old will now use his free agency to shop elsewhere,” Cowley wrote.
This isn’t all too surprising of a move when taking a look at the current state of the franchise. The Chicago Bulls aren’t contending any time soon, as they went all in a few offseasons ago and an injury to Lonzo Ball derailed the product on the court.
But, what is surprising is that the organization has made this decision now. They had ample opportunities to trade DeMar DeRozan as Bulls rumors circulated last offseason and ahead of the trade deadline.
They didn’t pull the trigger on a deal, and now they could watch their most consistent player walk without receiving any compensation in return. It is a worst-case scenario for a franchise that should have started this rebuild a long time ago.
During his time with the Bulls, DeMar DeRozan was highly productive. He has shown he has plenty left in the tank, as he was a one-man wrecking crew for the franchise late in games.
In three seasons, he averaged 25.5 points, 4.7 rebounds, 5.1 assists and 1.1 steals in 36.7 minutes per game. He was durable, leading the NBA with 37.8 minutes per game during the 2023-24 season and playing in at least 74 games all three seasons.
With DeMar DeRozan now departing, expect Bulls rumors to continue. They could look to flip him as part of a sign-and-trade deal to get something in return. The team is also actively shopping Zach LaVine, as the rebuild is in motion.
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