NBA Rumors: 6x All-Star puts league on notice with trade whispers
With just a few days to go for the new season, rumors of a trade surrounding Chicago Bulls star DeMar DeRozan have come up. The Bulls traded for DeRozan from the San Antonio Spurs in 2021 in exchange for Thaddeus Young, Al-Farouq Aminu and a couple of draft picks.
DeRozan has been a consistent scorer throughout his career and can maximize the hopes of any contending team to win a title. He signed a three-year, $81.9 million contract with the Bulls, and it is rumored that the Bulls' front office is already taking steps to address the issue. The six-time All-Star is eligible for a four-year, $179 million extension.
As per ESPN's Brian Windhorst, DeRozan is a potential trade candidate if he doesn’t sign an extension with Chicago and can be a person of interest to many teams. He reported:
“One guy to keep an eye on, for everybody, the whole league, this year is DeMar DeRozan. If he doesn’t extend with the Bulls, I think he becomes a trade target as the season goes along.”
DeMar DeRozan's basketball career and his stint with the Chicago Bulls
Over the years, DeRozan has emerged as one of the best mid-range shooters in the league. Per Stathead, he is just one of 13 players to average at least 26 points on 59% true shooting or better over the last two years.
The 6-foot-6 forward coming out of USC was selected ninth in the 2009 NBA draft by the Toronto Raptors. Apart from the Raptors and Bulls, he has also played for the San Antonio Spurs. DeRozan has been named All-NBA thrice. He has made back-to-back All-Star appearances in the last two seasons.
DeMar DeRozan spent nine seasons with the Raptors, playing 675 games and averaging 19.7 points, 4.1 rebounds and 3.1 assists while shooting 46.7% from mid-range.
His stint with the Bulls has been the scoring stretch of his career. In his first season at Chicago, DeRozan averaged a career-high in scoring, averaging 27.9 points per game. He has played 150 games for the Bulls over the last two seasons, averaging 26.2 points, 4.9 rebounds and five assists.
In his career, DeRozan averages 48.6% in 2-point shooting. Overall, his career averages are 21 points, four assists and 4.4 rebounds. He is a true master of the mid-range game, and any team can benefit by acquiring his services.