Before joining the Chicago Bulls last summer, DeMar DeRozan was linked to a handful of other teams. In the end, DeRozan took his talents to the Windy City, and he has thrived with the Bulls ever since he came.
We will never know the exact reason why DeRozan ended up in Chicago. However, it would be logical to assume that it had a lot to do with the money. He took a three-year deal with the Bulls for $82 million, and this was likely the best deal he had on the table at that point in time.
The Los Angeles Lakers were one of the teams that were heavily linked to DeMar last summer. As a matter of fact, reports suggest that he was very close to signing with his hometown team only for that potential deal to fall through at the last minute. Based on the writing on the wall, the Russell Westbrook trade appears to have had a significant impact on DeRozan's botched move to Hollywood.
That wasn't the worst part, though. DeRozan also revealed that another team even offered him a veteran's minimum (via Rob Schaefer of NBC Sports):
“It pissed me off,” DeRozan said of the minimum offer. “And I try to make it evident, especially when I play certain teams. It’s easy to tell. Because I made it a personal vendetta against a handful of teams, for sure.”
It is indeed quite easy to tell which teams he's referencing here regardless of the fact that he didn't name them explicitly. For instance, the Bulls swingman averaged 38 points against the Lakers last season. The Los Angeles Clippers were another team that was linked to DeMar DeRozan, and he put up a 50-piece against them last year.
“At this point, I always find humor in it,” DeRozan said. “You always try to find reasons to be motivated. At this point, I have so many other motivational factors that it becomes laughable. I always use whatever I can take. It’s kind of like free energy. I indulge in it and just let them eat their words whenever they eat it. But it’s never my main focal point on driving me. But it do irk me here and there.”
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