Los Angeles Lakers thought in 2021 that they would be getting DeMar DeRozan, but the team ended up acquiring Russell Westbrook instead. DeRozan went to the Chicago Bulls and after initial success, has had to deal with some disappointment himself.
The Chicago Bulls don’t look like contenders, and DeMar DeRozan will be a free agent in 2024. Sam Smith recently reported on his chances of joining the Lakers.
“DeMar has been pretty open that he thought he was going to the Lakers and home as a free agent two years ago and that’s where he wanted to go,” Smith wrote. “But he’s since said he believes in finishing what he started and has grown to like Chicago and the Bulls…I expect DeRozan to be with the Bulls next season.
“He becomes a rental after this season, so his value isn’t quite as high and thus I expect he finishes his contract with the Bulls.”
DeMar DeRozan is still a killer in the midrange, he is shooting over 51% from the field despite only 1.5 of his 17.8 shot attempts per game being three-pointers. He is averaging 25.1 points per game to go along with 5.1 assists, meaning he’s still one of the best in the league at what he does.
For the Los Angeles Lakers though, they will have to wait till 2024 when his contract ends to likely make any big moves. They recently reconstructed the roster and will have faith that it can get the job done, although adding a 3rd star like DeRozan is a lot more of a sure method. But being traded isn’t out of the question either.
The Chicago Bulls Would Reportedly Rather Trade DeMar DeRozan Than Zach LaVine
People were telling the Bulls they should tank after their start to this season. Thus conversations around DeMar DeRozan had begun once again. And it was reported that if the team was to choose between trading him or Zach LaVine, they would choose to move on from him.
“DeMar at this point,” a source told Heavy Sports NBA. “LaVine is younger (27) and they’ve already made the contract commitment to him. There are concerns about his knee, but the Bulls went all in on him and that makes a trade much more difficult. DeRozan is a lot more flexible when it comes to what you can do with a trade, so if it is one or the other, it would be him.”
Even if the Chicago Bulls do decide to trade DeMar DeRozan though, it would be hard to see him joining the Lakers at this point. They don’t have as many assets as they could take, so for those fans of the Purple and Gold that still want DeRozan, they might have to wait till 2024.
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