The Bulls and veteran wing DeMar DeRozan are far aside on a possible contract extension, in line with Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report (video link).
DeRozan is within the last season of a three-year, $81.9M contract. He’s making $28.6M this season and can be an unrestricted free agent if he doesn’t ink an extension.
Chicago was in an identical scenario with heart Nikola Vucevic final season however wound up re-signing him to a three-year, $60M deal simply earlier than free company.
Nonetheless, Haynes’ sources mentioned it’s unlikely that can happen with DeRozan. A extra possible situation is that they’ll look to maneuver him, quite than threat dropping their main scorer with out getting some property.
“I used to be informed that if DeRozan and the Bulls can not attain a contract extension, it’s fairly doubtless that the Bulls could look to maneuver DeMar DeRozan on the commerce deadline,” Haynes mentioned. “I don’t suppose the Bulls need to be put in a scenario the place DeMar DeRozan can stroll in free company they usually get nothing in return.”
Haynes burdened that the Bulls aren’t at the moment purchasing DeRozan, who’s averaging 21.8 factors, 5.0 assists and three.8 rebounds. His taking pictures averages are down, in comparison with the final two seasons.
He posted averages of 24.5 factors, 5.1 assists and 4.6 rebounds final season whereas taking pictures 50.45 from the sphere. He’s made 44.2% of his field-goal makes an attempt via Chicago’s first 21 video games this season.
The Warmth and Knicks are among the many groups that have previously been named as potential suitors. The Lakers have additionally been thrown into the mix.
In the beginning of the season, DeRozan said he wasn’t the kind of participant who pushes for a commerce. “I really feel like I wouldn’t be capable of lay down comfortably if I went someplace and mentioned, ‘(Expletive) commerce me. I’m uninterested in this.’ That’s simply not me,” he mentioned. “I’m going to compete, be the very best model I could be and let it go from there.”