Two years ago, the Chicago Bulls signed DeMar DeRozan in the midst of a flurry of moves that signaled a change for the organization. Well, technically, they traded for him, as they completed a sign-and-trade with the San Antonio Spurs to land the then-four-time All-Star forward.
Unfortunately, Chicago hasn’t been able to put forth much consistency with DeRozan leading the way. He helped them snap a four-year playoff drought in the 2021-22 season, but they were a first-round exit. And this past year, they were eliminated in the Play-In Tournament, taking a step backward. But Bulls fans should still appreciate DeRozan, says Elias Schuster of Bleacher Nation, as the Bulls haven’t added a talent like him in years.
According to Schuster, the last time Chicago added a guy playing at his All-Star peak was when they signed Pau Gasol in the summer of 2014.
“I mean, seriously, we’ve very rarely seen the Bulls add All-Star-caliber talent that was still performing at the peak of their powers,” Schuster wrote. “When they added Wade and Rondo, those two were far past their primes. The last time we saw this would probably be when Pau Gasol joined the mix. He had a back-to-back All-Star campaign and played some truly great basketball in a Bulls jersey. Unfortunately, those teams didn’t achieve much and it’s gotten lost in time. I’m hoping that’s not what happens with DeRozan because – in a vacuum – his stint here has been a great story.”
It’s great to see some star power return to the city of Chicago after years of a rebuild, but hopefully, the Bulls can accomplish more with DeRozan than they did with Gasol.
