Everybody saw it coming. Once the Alex Caruso trade went down, it felt like a matter of time before other veterans on the Chicago Bulls roster were next. DeMar DeRozan was the next domino to fall. After multiple teams sniffed around him, it was the Sacramento Kings that got a deal done. According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, DeRozan signed a three-year deal worth $74 million with the Kings. The San Antonio Spurs helped facilitate the trade, receiving veteran Harrison Barnes in the deal. As for the Bulls, they secured Chris Duarte, two 2nd round picks, and cash.
Duarte is another younger guard the Bulls will add to their backcourt, giving them more bench depth. He had a solid rookie season in Indiana, averaging 13.1 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 1.0 steals per game. However, his minutes were cut in his second year, and he was eventually traded to Sacramento, where he only saw the floor 12 minutes per night. Nobody would confuse him for another high-upside piece similar to Josh Giddey or Jalen Williams. He’s depth. It’s the two 2nd round picks that should help the Bulls as they clearly enter rebuild mode ahead of the 2024-2025 season.
Chicago won’t be making a playoff push next season. They are retooling. Everything points to Arturas Karnisovas trying to make the roster bad enough to guarantee a bottom 10 finish. Remember, San Antonio holds the Bulls’ 1st round pick next year. It is top 10 protected. The 2025 draft is projected to be a strong one. If the Bulls want to secure a possible young centerpiece for the future, they have to bite the bullet next season. That is why DeMar DeRozan may not be the last big name to go.
Nikola Vucevic and Zach Lavine are two other pieces that could be unloaded. Lavine is the more difficult of the two because of his bloated contract and recovery from a season-ending injury. Chicago may have to wait until the trade deadline in hopes he returns healthy and plays well. Vucevic is still a walking double-double. There is almost certainly one or two teams who will be interested in his services. Finding the right offer will take some time. While this counts as a disappointing final chapter to a story that started with such promise, at least the franchise finally has a direction.
