Following the news that two-time All-Star guard Zach LaVine will miss four to six months due to a right foot injury that requires surgery, it felt like the Chicago Bulls trade rumors would die down.
While the injury ended all trade speculation involving LaVine, the Bulls remain one of the most influential franchises ahead of the 2024 NBA Trade Deadline due to their abundance of desirable veterans who could help contending teams, such as DeMar DeRozan.
According to The Athletic’s Senior NBA insider Shams Charania during a recent segment on FanDuel TV’s Run It Back, DeRozan “is a player to monitor leading up to the trade deadline.”
DeMar DeRozan is a player to monitor leading up to the trade deadline, per @ShamsCharania on @RunItBackFDTV.
— Evan Sidery (@esidery) February 5, 2024
The Bulls are open to fielding calls on DeRozan as extension talks went nowhere.
If DeRozan isn’t traded by Thursday, there’s a real possibility he walks in free agency. pic.twitter.com/07SMzFiSco
NBA Trade Rumors: Chicago Bulls DeMar DeRozan is a name to watch
With DeRozan and the Bulls reportedly being “far apart on a potential contract extension,” per Bleacher Report’s Chris Haynes, Chicago could look to recoup any assets they can get for the six-time All-Star by trading him ahead of the deadline instead of possibly losing him for nothing via free agency this offseason.
Currently, DeRozan is in the final season of a three-year, $81.9 million contract he signed with the San Antonio Spurs in 2021 as part of the sign-and-trade that sent him to Chicago, and he is showing no signs of slowing down in his age-34 campaign.
Averaging 22 points while shooting 46.5 percent from the floor to go with 5.4 assists, 4.1 rebounds, and 1.2 steals per game, DeRozan could be a valuable addition to any team in need of a high-volume scorer and have no shortage of suitors if he becomes available. In other words, If the Bulls aren’t willing to pay him, someone else will.
In his report, Haynes points out that the Bulls aren’t actively shopping DeRozan, but he notes that Chicago doesn’t want to face the predicament of potentially letting him walk this offseason.