For another year, the Chicago Bulls were inactive at the trade deadline. They had multiple assets they could have flipped in exchange for draft capital, thus planning for the future, but instead, they stood pat. And while the front office is content with being a low-tier playoff team, the fanbase is getting more and more frustrated.
One of the guys they could have (and perhaps should have) moved was DeMar DeRozan, who is in the final year of his contract. The Bulls and DeRozan haven’t come to an agreement on a contract extension yet, meaning he could potentially leave in free agency.
However, according to Sam Amick of The Athletic, DeRozan would like to remain in Chicago past this year.
“Meanwhile, DeMar DeRozan is still playing at a high level and will be an unrestricted free agent after this season,” Amick wrote. “That’s typically a formula for a deal when a team is mired in mediocrity, but these Bulls will now look to keep the 34-year-old this summer. A league source with knowledge of DeRozan’s situation said he is happy there and would like to return — if the money is right.”
But that last tidbit Amick added is perhaps the most important part of the paragraph – “if the money is right.” Chicago took a huge risk by not trading DeRozan at the deadline.
The two sides weren’t able to come to an agreement on a contract extension this past summer, and if nothing changes, DeRozan, who will be an unrestricted free agent, could simply take another deal and leave the Bulls high and dry this summer.
