Chicago Bulls: Grading the DeMar DeRozan sign-and-trade
What the Chicago Bulls are getting back with DeMar DeRozan?
It’s clear now that Donovan and the Bulls can round out the starting five with DeRozan and Lonzo in the mix now. The Bulls had a question mark obviously at the point guard position. But this cycle of free agency started out with a bang for the Bulls by AK singing Lonzo on a four-year contract worth around $85 million in total in that sign-and-trade deal with the Pelicans.
DeRozan is now likely to either play at the three for Donovan and the Bulls, with P-Will potentially starting at the four. That would probably make more sense than the Bulls trying to run DeRozan at the four and Williams at the three. But DeRozan was very effective for legendary head coach Gregg Popovich and the Spurs at the four last season.
DeRozan is a four-time All-Star selection with a plethora of postseason experience between his years spent with the Spurs and Toronto Raptors. He is also a two-time All-NBA Team selection. DeRozan is still putting up All-Star caliber numbers up to last season. During the 2020-21 regular season, DeRozan averaged 21.6 points per game, 4.2 rebounds, 6.9 assists, 0.9 steals, and 0.2 blocks.
If DeRozan can even see a slight uptick in his numbers next season playing alongside the likes of Lonzo, star shooting guard Zach LaVine, and Vooch, then he could garner his fifth All-Star selection of his career. The main question now is what the Bulls could do with a trio of potential All-Stars next season in the mix.
Next. 3 players the Bulls should've pursued over DeMar DeRozan. dark
DeRozan didn’t seem like the best fit for the Bulls to get at the three or the four this offseason. A limited defensive wing combined with another liability at times in LaVine doesn’t spell success for Donovan and the Bulls on that end of the floor. The floor spacing on offense could also suffer with DeRozan in the mix. Still, this addition is big for the Bulls purely in terms of contender status in the Eastern Conference.