The Chicago Bulls have some cutthroat decisions to make this summer. Rumors have indicated their willingness to pay DeMar DeRozan in free agency, but that comes with risks. Greg Swartz of Bleacher Report listed DeRozan among the “riskiest big-money” free agents of the offseason.
“It’s fair to question where DeRozan stands on a championship-level team, though,” Swartz wrote. “He’s set to turn 35 this summer and clearly isn’t a No. 1 option. Even being a No. 2 looks like a bit of a stretch (could a Nikola Jokić-DeRozan combo win a title?), leaving us to consider DeRozan a solid No. 3 option. How many teams would be willing to match the Bulls’ offer of $40 million a year for their third-best player?
“DeRozan returning to the Bulls doesn’t make sense for his own championship aspirations, pending some drastic changes around him. For someone entering his 16th season but with just one conference finals appearance thus far, winning a title has to be at the top of his wish list. That isn’t going to happen in Chicago anytime soon. Exploring sign-and-trade options to a contender may be what’s best for all involved here, especially if DeRozan will accept an annual salary closer to $30 million a year.”
The Bulls aren’t anywhere close to a title contender, so paying DeRozan doesn’t make too much sense. Simultaneously, teams around the league have the right to question whether DeRozan’s playstyle is conducive to winning at the highest level.
