The Chicago Bulls finished up yet another mediocre season last Friday night as they lost to the Miami Heat in the NBA play-in tournament. It was a disappointing season, so it was fitting for it to end in disappointing fashion. The Bulls got out to a good start in Miami as they hit a few threes early to go up 11-6, but it was all Heat after that. Miami won the game 112-91, and they are now headed to the playoffs to take on the Boston Celtics.
After going up 11-6, the Bulls surrendered a massive run and ended up going down by 20 in the second quarter. After they went down 20, the Bulls actually did a good job of weathering the storm. Chicago fought back and made it a seven point game in the third quarter, but the Heat turned things back on and ended up winning in blowout fashion.
So, another season is in the books for the Bulls. After starting 5-14, things went pretty well, but they are still far from satisfying this hungry fan base. No one really expected this team to make it to the postseason in the early stages of the year, so making it this far was exceeding expectations, but the fan base wants more. They definitely want to see Chicago make some moves this offseason, and one intriguing one could involve veteran star DeMar DeRozan.
DeMar DeRozan was reportedly offered a two-year extension worth $80 million. DeRozan is 34 years old and is getting to the point where you start to think about retirement. He is reportedly pushing for more years on that contract, but the Bulls know his high-level of play is bound to fall at some point.
So far with the Bulls, DeRozan has been terrific. He has averaged over 24 PPG in all three seasons since coming to Chicago, and he continues to be one of the most clutch players in all of the NBA. The Bulls want to keep him around.
Bulls executive vice president of basketball operations, Artūras Karnišovas, was vocal in his season-ending press conference that changes need to be made this offseason. So, what does this DeMar DeRozan offer hint at?
What does DeMar DeRozan's potential deal mean for the Bulls?
It's clear that Artūras Karnišovas knows that changes need to be made, he flat out said it himself. That is something that Bulls fans have been wanting to hear. So, we will likely see some big changes in Chicago this offseason, but one thing is clear: The Bulls believe that they can win big with DeMar DeRozan as a veteran leader.
When the NBA trade deadline rolled around this season, Bulls fans were hoping to see Zach LaVine traded so they could potentially get some more young talent on the team. Expect that to happen this offseason, but there is one star that doesn't appear to be going anywhere.
Going after some more young talent to go with the already promising core of Ayo Dosunmu and Coby White seems like the most likely course of action for the Bulls. However, those young guys will need a veteran around them, and that is where DeRozan comes in to play. The Bulls want to keep DeRozan in Chicago, and he could be a big help for the current, and potentially future, young members of this team for the next couple years.
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