Chicago Bulls’ Luol Deng calls trade talk ‘part of the deal’

Every season it seems like Chicago Bulls’ forward Luol Deng is at the center of trade rumors.

Those rumors have increased now that ESPN’s Chris Broussard that the Cleveland Cavaliers have talked to the Bulls about a deal involving Deng and guard Dion Waiters.

“That’s part of the [deal],” Deng told ESPN Chicago’s Nick Friedell before Wednesday’s shootaround as the Bulls prepared for their game against Detroit. “Since I’ve been in the league, it’s always — every year it’s a possibility [of being dealt]; anything can happen. It’s unfortunate we’re going through what we’re going through, but it is what it is. It happens. You got to deal with it. But in terms of things changing, you can’t worry about that as a player.”

Deng, who was originally drafted by the Bulls out of Duke with the seventh overall pick in the 2004 NBA draft, is averaging 16.8 points, 7.5 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.2 steals per game. He’s shooting 41.4% from the field, 17.1% from beyond the arc and 84.3% from the charity stripe.