During his final session with the media this season, Bulls swingman DeMar DeRozan opened up on what’s next for his NBA career. As he told reporters, everything is on the table as he weighs the pros and cons of staying in Chicago.
“My stance on wanting to be here is still the same but I just want to win,” said DeRozan, via Julia Poe. “The next time I play a game will be my 16th season. You realize the window closes for you personally. I ain’t trying to play 25 years.”
DeMar on staying in Chicago: “My stance on wanting to be here is still the same but I just want to win.”
Time is clearing weighing on him: “Next time I play a game will be my 16th season. You realize the window closes for you personally. I ain’t trying to play 25 years.” pic.twitter.com/qLJDBEi1C8
— Julia Poe (@byjuliapoe) April 20, 2024
DeRozan is set to become an unrestricted free agent this summer after his three-year, $82 million contract expires in July. DeMar made over $28 million in this campaign and he’s almost surely guaranteed a pay cut as he heads into his 15th NBA season.
But at almost 35 years old, DeRozan is running out of time to find his place on a championship team. After his underwhelming stint with Kyle Lowry and the Raptors, DeRozan was sent to the Spurs, where he had some of the best years of his career under Gregg Popovich. He joined the Bulls in 2021 to join forces with Zach LaVine, Nikola Vucevic, and Lonzo Ball.
While that core did have some success together, it was a short-lived time at the top after Ball fell with a knee injury late into the season. The Bulls have been stagnant ever since. Without their starting guard, they have no direction in the offense and came into the play-in tournament ranked 19th on that end of the floor.
As many Bulls fans push for the franchise to rebuild, DeRozan hangs on as one of the last remnants of a lost era. Wherever he goes, this summer will be the end of a miserable chapter for the Bulls, but it could be what finally begins the process of a rebuild.
Big Trades Are Coming For The Chicago Bulls
The Bulls remained curiously stagnant at the trade deadline, with the front office infamously choosing to “run it back” with their core instead of trying to take some action to change the situation.
For years, the Bulls have been patient with this group and have gone out of their way to keep them all together. But after three years of being a bottom-feeder in the East, DeRozan is seeing the writing on the wall.
It remains to be seen where he will end up this summer but if winning is a priority for him, it won’t be the Bulls. As constructed, they will never win a championship and their franchise star [Zach LaVine] has been looking for a way out for years now.
At this point, the best solution for Chicago is a total rebuild, beginning with the departure of DeRozan and a trade involving Zach LaVine, Vucevic, and any other veteran players that can bring back a worthwhile return. Of course, after expressing confidence for years that this team can make a run, there is still some internal belief that their squad at full health is good enough to keep around.
This summer, the choice belongs to DeRozan on whether he wants to give it another try with the Bulls or sign to a team where he can close his career on his own terms and in a fight for the Larry O’Brien trophy.
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