DeMar DeRozan recently reiterated his commitment to the Chicago Bulls. He has spent the first quarter of the season being linked in endless trade rumors. The veteran forward is in the final year of his current deal, meaning he will be a restricted free agent in the summer. As such, he’s widely expected to be used as trade bait as the Bulls’ front office looks for ways to begin rebuilding or re-tooling their roster.
DeRozan’s comments came during a recent interview with the Chicago Tribune. During the interview, the veteran forward discussed his love of Chicago and his desire to remain in the city moving forward.
“Chicago is Chicago to me,” DeRozan said. “I love it here. Obviously it’s a place I want to be in my career. None of that has changed. I don’t have no other type of doubts or feelings or suggestions to be elsewhere. That don’t cross my mind…Me being in the league so long, I understand this period of time, it just comes with the occupation. I really don’t pay no mind to it. My priority is to be here, make this organization and this team successful and get through whatever tough stuff we’re going through.”
Despite the endless trade rumors, DeRozan is still stringing an impressive season together. The veteran is averaging 22.2 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 5.2 assists while shooting 44.1% from the field and 36.8% from 3-point range.
The Bulls may yet decide to keep DeRozan for the remainder of the season. They could even look to negotiate a potential contract extension in the coming months. However, if they do choose to move on from their star forward, there should be no shortage of interested teams. After all, DeRozan has been a consummate professional for his entire career.
