NBA Rumors: 1 trade for every Bulls player on chopping block

Bulls trade DeMar DeRozan to Warriors

Is the DeMar DeRozan era in Chicago finished at last? It certainly feels that way. The market for the 34-year-old is probably slight. He's a rather unique "star," focused on mid-range jumpers in an era predicated on pace and space. DeRozan is also in the final year of his contract. He can leave in free agency, which will drive the price down (on top of age-related concerns).

That leads us to the Golden State Warriors, a team stuck between timelines. Stephen Curry deserves and mandates a contender so long as he's on the court, but Golden State's veteran core has crumbled around him. Meanwhile, Golden State's youth has been largely impressive this season. Brandin Podziemski and Trayce Jackson-Davis are rotation pieces, while Jonathan Kuminga is on the fast track to stardom.

The Bulls swap DeRozan for Andrew Wiggins, in essence. This is a salary dump for the Warriors. Wiggins has struggled to live up to expectations in 2023-24, and he's under contract through 2027 at $27.3 million annually. That is not great for a Golden State team in a rather dire financial situation. As a reward for absorbing Wiggins' long-term money and taking on the reclamation project, Chicago gets the one "young core" piece Golden State hasn't embraced yet. Moses Moody continues to hover on the fringe of Steve Kerr's rotation despite obvious talent. The Bulls also get a couple second-round picks.

This is about as well as Chicago can expect to do for DeRozan. Wiggins' contract will get more movable with each passing season and the Bulls can afford to be patient. There's a non-zero chance he eventually starts to look closer to his All-Star form of yesteryear. The Bulls can certainly feed him more opportunities on offense. Moody would instantly see his minutes skyrocket as a 3-and-D wing Chicago can bank on.

For Golden State, DeRozan is another source of reliable shot creation to balance the lineup next to Stephen Curry. With Klay Thompson and Chris Paul on the decline, DeRozan's ability to generate advantages and score from scratch is useful. He has emerged as a quality playmaker in recent years, so Golden State can run the offense through him in the halfcourt while Curry works his magic off the ball.