As the Chicago Bulls attempt to get past their rocky start to the 2023-24 season, trade rumors will inevitably sneak up on them. If their struggles continue, the calls for them to blow it up will persist, and if they improve, questions of what their ceiling truly is will be brought up time and time again.
Unfortunately, the Bulls are stuck in the middle. With all the talent at the top of the Eastern Conference, there doesn’t seem to be a pathway to a playoff spot for them, barring drastic improvement. And on top of all of that, DeMar DeRozan is in the final year of his contract.
There’s a chance the Bulls look to trade him to get value back in return, but DeRozan’s not interested in requesting a move.
In speaking with KC Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago, DeRozan shared his thoughts on the idea of forcing his way to a preferred destination.
“Nah,” DeRozan said of the idea. “My whole life, I’ve always been this way: Control what you can control. This may sound cliché, but I’m big on being professional even in the toughest of times. It’s always easy to run away or find an excuse or blame somebody else or whatever.
“But sticking through something always teaches you a lesson. Some people demand trades or demand certain things and they still don’t get what they want. For me, I just wake up and try to be the best I can be that day and let it translate over.”
If things take a turn for the worse, the Bulls should certainly consider trading DeRozan, especially with how extension talks have been going, but he’s not going to be the one to force their hand.
