DeMar DeRozan would receive a lot of trade interest if the Bulls made him available.
DeMar DeRozan is one of the best offensive forwards in the NBA, highly regarded by fans and analysts due to his midrange scoring and playmaking ability. He averaged 27.9 PPG, 5.2 RPG, and 4.9 APG for the Chicago Bulls last season earning All-NBA second-team honors.
At one point last season, DeMar DeRozan was considered an MVP candidate due to his own stellar play and the Chicago Bulls' position in the Eastern Conference. He was breaking records held by Michael Jordan at the time, and it is easy to see why many thought of him as an MVP-caliber player.
Despite DeRozan's heroics throughout the season, the Chicago Bulls finished as the No. 6 seed in the Eastern Conference and were subsequently eliminated by the Milwaukee Bucks in the first round of the playoffs.
DeMar DeRozan Would Command A Lot Of Interest If The Bulls Wanted To Trade Him
The Chicago Bulls slid down the standings in the second half of the season, as they were an injury-ravaged team. While obviously, injuries are sometimes out of anyone's control, the Chicago Bulls want to avoid playing like they did to end last season in the future.
DeMar DeRozan could be a valuable addition to any team due to his offensive skillset and experience. An executive that talked to Sean Deveney of Heavy suggested that the Chicago Bulls could end up shopping DeRozan if they start off with the poor form they exhibited at the end of last season, adding that the Knicks, the Mavericks, the Trail Blazers, and the Heat would be willing to make offers for him if that were the case.
“If this season starts the way last season ended,” the executive tells Heavy’s Sean Deveney, “there is a chance the Bulls could explore all options. And you’d get some good offers. Teams like the Knicks or Dallas or Portland, certainly Miami, they’d give up pieces and picks for a player like DeRozan.”
As for the caveat on what it would take to even get the Bulls to entertain this?
“He was an MVP candidate for most of last year…It would have to be a disaster of a season for that to happen.”
It remains to be seen if the Chicago Bulls will in fact end up moving DeMar DeRozan. He is viewed as the best current player on the team, and trading him would definitely make the team a lot worse.
However, in the scenario presented by the executive, it makes sense to move DeMar DeRozan for value and try to go a different route when building a contending team. Obviously, a lot will depend on how the Chicago Bulls start next season, and hopefully, we see them end up as a top-tier team next season.
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