There have been several recent reports indicating the Chicago Bulls and DeMar DeRozan could be open to extending their partnership. While DeRozan will have other suitors in free agency, the Bulls are expected to set his market with whatever they are willing to offer.
In a recent report, Darnell Mayberry of The Athletic revealed that DeRozan could get upwards of $40M annually in free agency:
"The Bulls would be happy to re-sign DeRozan on a two-year deal," Mayberry wrote. "DeRozan’s side obviously would covet more security. The Bulls have a habit of liberally latching player options into contracts so that carrot could come into play with DeRozan’s deal as well. The dollar amount will be hefty, likely north of $40 million annually, but is less significant to the Bulls’ long-term flexibility. Chicago wants to keep DeRozan but at a reasonable commitment."
If this is what Chicago offers, even at fewer years than DeRozan could get elsewhere, it is hard to see another team luring him away. As Mayberry noted, DeRozan wants more longterm security, but Chicago could find a way to meet him in the middle with more annual money on a slightly shorter deal than he would prefer.
If total years are what DeRozan values most, then perhaps he does look elsewhere this summer at one of the few cap space teams.
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JOEY LINN
Title: Credentialed writer covering the NBA for Sports Illustrated's FanNation Email: joeylinn52@gmail.com Education: Communication Studies degree from Biola University Location: Los Angeles, California Expertise: NBA analysis and reporting Experience: Joey Linn is a credentialed writer covering the NBA for Sports Illustrated's FanNation. Covering the LA Clippers independently in 2018, then for Fansided and 213Hoops from 2019-2021, Joey joined Sports Illustrated's FanNation to cover the Clippers after the 2020-21 season. Graduating from Biola University in 2022 with a Communication Studies degree, Joey served as Biola's play-by-play announcer for their basketball, baseball, softball, and soccer teams during his time in school. Joey's work on Biola's broadcasts, combined with his excellence in the classroom, earned him the Outstanding Communication Studies Student of the year award in 2022. Joey covers the NBA full-time across multiple platforms, primarily serving as a credentialed Clippers beat writer.
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