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The Chicago Bulls haven’t gotten off to the kind of start they envisioned this offseason. But things could always be worse.
They could be the Detroit Pistons’ whose promising young talent is overshadowed by their 23-game losing streak (pending the results of their matchup against the Atlanta Hawks on December 18).
Detroit hired Monty Williams to be its head coach, and their results could have them getting “desperate,” writes Andy Bailey of Bleacher Report, who also described his proposal as “sneaky”.
“The Detroit Pistons should probably be thinking about moving veterans … Instead, they may be in the market for more vets,” Bailey wrote on December 18. “If, indeed, that’s the direction Detroit chooses to go, Chicago Bulls wing DeMar DeRozan is another option for someone who might be able to add stability and share some of the knowledge gained through experience.”
Bulls get:
– Joe Harris
– Killian Hayes
– 2026 first-round pick (top-5 protected)
Pistons get:
– DeMar DeRozan
“Chicago needs get whatever it can for DeRozan,” Bailey continued. “If another team is willing to sacrifice a first-round pick for him, even a protected one, the Bulls would have to seriously consider moving him.”
DeRozan, 34, is having a different kind of success this season.
DeMar DeRozan Thriving in a Different Way This Season
His 22.5 points per game on 54.7% shooting represent his lowest marks since 2020-21 and 2018-19, respectively.
But his 5.2 assists per game are his most since the 2019-20 season, his last with the San Antonio Spurs. During that time, Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich turned the mid-range maven into a facilitator, a skill set the Bulls are trying to utilize more.
DeRozan is averaging 6.9 assists since returning from a one-game injury-related absence; a seven-game span during which he had three games with at least 10 assists.
He also entered play on December 18 shooting a career-high 36.8% from beyond the arc.
However, it’s that adaptability on the court – coupled with his connection to the younger players off of it – that has the Bulls eyeing DeRozan’s return after this season. He is in the final year of a three-year, $81.9 million contract.
There was mutual interest in an extension. But those talks have gone quiet as both sides let more of the season play out.
The issue with the offer from the Bulls’ perspective could be taking on Harris’ contract – he is in the final year of a four-year, $75 million contract – and losing him for nothing at the end of the season.
Hayes was the No. 7 overall pick in 2020.
He had a rough first three seasons before averaging a career-high 10.3 points, 6.2 assists, and 1.4 steals last season.
The pick could very well convey as soon as possible.
DeRozan has kept the Bulls in a similar draft area – middle of the first round – since his arrival in 2021. But this isn’t the only way the Bulls could look to take advantage of Detroit’s eagerness to show progress.
Proposed Trade Sends DeMar DeRozan to Detroit Pistons
Chris Hayes of Bleacher Report reported the Bulls could look to trade DeRozan should they get the sense that they won’t be able to bring him back.
That could be just the thing that gets the Pistons to the negotiating table.
Bulls get:
Pistons get:
– DeMar DeRozan
If the Bulls wanted to insist upon a first-round pick too, they might have to swap someone else in Ivey’s place. Hayes would be the cleanest switch. But this package would divest from DeRozan into frontcourt size and young backcourt depth.
The Bulls have had interest in Bagley, the No. 2 overall pick in 2018, before. Bagley is averaging 9.9 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 1.1 assists this season.
He is in the second year of a three-year, $37.5 million contract.
Ivey was the No. 5 overall pick in 2022 by the Pistons. He is averaging 11.5 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 2.6 assists this season. Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports reported on December 1 that the Pistons were unlikely to include Ivey in any trades. A 73-game starter last season, Ivey has started just six of his 22 appearances this season.
Perhaps what DeRozan has done with Bulls youngsters Coby White and Patrick Williams entices the Pistons to part with one of their young pieces to build up the others.
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