Getty DeMar DeRozan #11 of the Chicago Bulls.
The Chicago Bulls are willing to work with DeMar DeRozan’s camp to find the six-time All-Star a new home.
DeRozan’s days with the Bulls appear over with the organization prioritizing other matters.
Those matters have left DeRozan ready to move on. He has begun talks with the Los Angeles Lakers. But DeRozan would need them to work with the Bulls to maximize his earning power. To that end, the Bulls are again willing participants. But the negotiations have hit a snag.
“One of the current hold-ups in a potential DeRozan deal is what the Bulls would be receiving from the Lakers, according to league sources,” The Athletic’s Jovan Buha wrote on July 2.
The Bulls have shifted their focus to a youth movement, further emboldening DeRozan’s stance.
“The Lakers, sources said, still hold an affinity for veteran scorer DeMar DeRozan after Los Angeles finished as the runner-up for Thompson,” Yahoo Sports’ Jake Fischer wrote on July 1. “For the Lakers to bring on DeRozan, Los Angeles may have to work with a third team to offload some salary, such as D’Angelo Russell or Gabe Vincent, sources said.”
This would be a true full-circle situation for DeRozan. He is a Compton, California native. He has also been honest about playing for his hometown teams and, specifically the Lakers.
Lakers a ‘Fitting’ Landing Spot for Bulls’ Free Agent DeMar DeRozan
“Still plenty of moving parts but if DeRozan ends up with Lakers, it would seem fitting given that he thought he was going there in 2021 and ended up on Bulls,” NBC Sports Chicago’s K.C. Johnson posted on X on July 1.
DeRozan discussed 2021 free agency during an appearance on “The Old Man & The Three” podcast in September 2023. A deal with the Lakers seemed imminent.
They traded for Russell Westbrook instead. But DeRozan remains open to a homecoming.
The Lakers hired the show’s host, JJ Redick, to be their head coach this offseason.
Buha corroborated speculative reporting from ESPN’s Brian Windhorst on the July 1 episode of “The Hoop Collective” podcast that Lakers star LeBron James would accept less on his next contract to make room for DeRozan.
The most the Lakers can offer DeRozan in free agency is $12 million on the nontaxpayer mid-level exception. If he wants more than that, it will require a sign-and-trade with the Bulls.
It would benefit DeRozan and the Bulls to work together.
Insiders Offer Reality Check About DeMar DeRozan’s Fit With Lakers, Free Agency
DeRozan’s potential storybook ending with the Lakers could be more fantasy than reality, with Buha pointing out several issues that would loom if LA acquired the three-time All-NBA selection.
“DeRozan is an elite midrange scorer, clutch shot-maker and a good passer who would improve the Lakers’ roster and be a good value, particularly if he’s making less than $20 million or so,” Buha wrote. “At the same time, DeRozan is a subpar 3-point shooter and defender, two skills the Lakers need desperately around James and [Anthony] Davis.”
More than doubts about DeRozan’s fit with the Lakers, there are doubts he will be able to land the kind of deal he may be seeking.
The door remains open for DeRozan to return to the Bulls, if ever so slightly.
NBC Sports Chicago’s K.C. Johnson reported in April that DeRozan had turned down a multi-year offer from the Bulls. It would have paid him as much as $40 million annually. DeRozan, Johnson said, sought more security.
“I think there’s interest in DeMar DeRozan. But the kind of contract that he might want just is not gonna be available. It’s not left out there in the marketplace. The Bulls are more than willing to work on a sign-and-trade agreement to get him the years and money that he might want,” ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski said on “SportsCenter” on July 2. “[I] think in DeMar DeRozan’s case – and it may not be as appealing to him – but it may look like a one-year deal somewhere, let the market reset next year.
“If you do a sign-and-trade, it’s gotta be at least three years. Now you’re looking at a three-year deal at a number you may not like.”