Tier 3: Might be wise to move these players now
- DeMar DeRozan
- Lonzo Ball
- Dalen Terry
Make no mistake, DeMar DeRozan is the heart and soul of the Chicago Bulls. This team will go as far as he can take them, and he has proven he can be that leader when he brought Chicago to the postseason for the first time since 2017. That being said, if the Bulls are a disappointment this season, it may also be time to re-evaluate his position with the franchise.
I hope it doesn’t come to that, but with DeRozan on an expiring contract, it may be better to move him to a contender for draft capital rather than risk losing him for nothing in free agency. Considering the front office expended so much future draft capital assembling this core in the first place, it would be wise to recoup whatever assets they can if this team isn’t meeting expectations.
Conversely, flipping a prospect who has been on the whole very disappointing thus far in Dalen Terry makes sense if the Bulls are overachieving and want to bolster the rotation with another veteran. The same applies to Lonzo Ball, who could be a valuable asset in negotiations. Although no one is going to give up anything of value for an injured player, Ball’s $20 million price tag makes him a great salary-matching tool if Chicago needs it.