3 Chicago Bulls who definitely won't be back next season

The Chicago Bulls made a valiant effort this season, navigating injuries and trade rumors with Zach LaVine and an aging roster, and nearly making a run through the Play-In Tournament. But their shooters went cold in a 112-91 loss to the Miami Heat and their season is officially over.

Last summer it looked like the Bulls might be active in pursuing a reset but they re-signed Nikola Vucevic, eschewed any big trades and tried to run it back. It's clear that path is a dead and they'll have to change course this summer.

Zach LaVine is the biggest question mark and perhaps the player the Bulls might most like to move. But circumstances will make it hard.

LaVine missed most of the season after undergoing foot surgery. He wasn't particularly effective even when he was healthy and it seemed clear that both he and the Bulls were ready for a change. But Chicago couldn't find a deal it liked before the trade deadline and his injury history isn't going to make things any easier.

LaVine is 29 and has three more years on his deal at roughly $45 million per season. To the degree that there will be a trade market for him, it will be entirely a buyer's market with the Bulls holding almost no leverage. Given all that, it seems likely that they try to make it work for at least the first half of next season and see if they can revive his potential, interest in competing with this roster or, at the very least, some trade value.

But while LaVine seems likely to be back, these three Bulls probably won't be..

3. Torrey Craig

Torrey Craig has a player option for next season at just under $3 million but it seems likely he may look for a home elsewhere. The 3-and-D veteran was a relatively solid contributor for the Bulls, appearing in 53 games, nabbing 14 starts and averaging 5.7 points, 4.5 rebounds and 1.1 assists. But his most valuable contributions are his stout, versatile defense and his 39.2 3-point shooting percentage.

Craig is 33 and has already played for six NBA teams in his seven-year NBA career. Opting out and looking for a new deal might not net him a huge raise but he could probably land a two- or three-year deal somewhere that gives him a bit more security and stability and perhaps an opportunity to contribute on a team with a slightly brighter present than the Bulls.

2. Andre Drummond

At this point in his career, Drummond's profile is fairly clear. He is a backup center, a big body, six fouls and a significant presence on the glass. He's not much more than a finisher on offense and he's not a significant defensive anchor. At 31 years old, he probably has a few years left of solid basketball but there won't be a ton of suitors for his services. There just aren't that many teams who need to fill 14-16 big man minutes off the bench and don't need those minutes to be filled by either a significant rim protector, floor-spacer or a young project with a higher hypothetical ceiling.

The Bulls could theoretically use Drummond again to fill space behind Nikola Vucevic but he's an unrestricted free agent and will at least have the opportunity to look around. In addition, barring some lottery luck, the Bulls will have the No. 11 pick in this year's draft and there are several bigs who could be appealing at that range, including Kel'el Ware, Kyle Fliipowski, DaRon Holmes II, Yves Missi, and Donovan Clingan — who, conveniently, rank No. 11 through No. 15 on Chris Kline's latest NBA Draft Big Board.

1. DeMar DeRozan

The Bulls gave some consideration to trading DeRozan last season but opted to keep him (and re-sign Nikola Vucevic) in a bid for the playoffs. They didn't have Zach LaVine but almost everything else went right for the Bulls this year and they still couldn't make their way out of the Play-In. DeRozan will be a unrestricted free agent this season and even if he wanted to return to Chicago one would hope they'd recognize the futility of making another big investment in the veteran win (who will be 35 by the time next season starts).

DeRozan, who grew up in Compton, has long been linked with the Lakers and if he was willing to take a ring-chasing discount that could certainly be on the table this summer. He could also be a theoretical replacement for Paul George on the Clippers if extension negotiations don't work out and he bolts.

He will ultimately need to decide how much he values wringing as many years and dollars out of his (presumably) final big NBA contract against the opportunity to compete for a ring but the Bulls should lose a bidding war on either count. There's no reason for them to pay DeRozan as much as another team might and they can't, realistically offer him any chance of winning a title in the next two or three years. It's been a fruitful partnership between DeRozan and the Bulls but it's probably time for both sides to move on.