DeMar DeRozan was on the list of players who switched teams this NBA offseason, going from the Chicago Bulls to the Sacramento Kings. Retaining someone like DeRozan should have been a priority for the Bulls, but instead, they had other ideas in place for the team's future.
Bulls' general manager Marc Eversley spoke with ESPN about the direction of where he wanted the Bulls to go after letting DeRozan walk.
“I love DeMar. He was terrific for our organization the last three years,” Eversley said. “But I don't think we were in a position to deliver what he was looking for going forward. He wants to win. He deserves an opportunity to win at a really high level. And arguably, we're not in that situation right now. As much as it hurt to let him go, I'm extremely happy for him.”
With that, the Bulls agreed to a sign-and-trade with the Kings, and they gave DeRozan a new three-year, $74 million contract.
In DeRozan's three years with the Bulls, he was one of the most effective players in the league, but with not much postseason success as a team, Eversley knew it was time to go younger and build from there.
The Bulls knew it was time to let DeMar DeRozan go
The Bulls started their journey of going young by trading Alex Caruso for Josh Giddey, a guard with a lot of playmaking upside. They also resigned one of their own players, Patrick Williams, who was the No. 4 pick in the 2020 NBA Draft. Coby White and Ayo Dosunmu have shown bright spots over the past few seasons, and by adding Matas Buzelis, the Bulls' first-round pick from the 2024 NBA Draft to the fold, Chicago has a lot to look forward to in the future.
With the rumors of the Bulls trying to trade Zach LaVine, it was evident that they were looking to go in a different direction. The Bulls haven't been able to find a trade partner to take LaVine, and they've even offered to attach a first-round pick to the deal, according to ESPN's Bobby Marks.
LaVine is owed over $138 million over the next three seasons, and that's something that teams around the league might not want to pay.
At this point in DeRozan's career, winning is most likely the only priority. The Kings offered DeRozan the best chance to win, adding him alongside All-NBA players Domantas Sabonis and De'Aaron Fox. He'll also be surrounded by young talent such as Keegan Murray, Malik Monk, and Kevin Huerter. The Kings have the talent to compete for a top-six seed in the Western Conference and possibly for an NBA championship.
For the Bulls, they'll probably be in the mix for a lottery pick next season and could have a chance to add another young, solid rotational piece to their roster.
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