The Bulls got practically nothing for DeMar DeRozan
The Bulls didn’t trade DeRozan at the deadline but that’s the past.
It may not have been Arturas Karnisovas’ desire to keep all of those guys and he was clearly under pressure to try and make the playoffs for some reason.
So, he can only make the trade that is front of him now with the current context.
But even that doesn’t look great.
Yes, it’s good the Bulls did get something for DeRozan, but it wasn’t much. Chris Duarte is hurt more often than Zach Lavine and has played 160 games in three seasons in the NBA. After a promising rookie season in which he averaged 13 points on decent shooting splits, Duarte has fallen off the face of the earth.
He’s shot less than 40 percent from the field the last two seasons, averaged three points per game last year and barely played.
Did I mention he’s already 27 years old?
Luckily, he’s only on a one-year deal, but the Bulls didn’t even get the best player in this trade as DeRozan went to the Kings and Harrison Barnes went to San Antonio. Chicago couldn't have squeezed the Kings for Kevin Huerter instead? At least he's a rotation player.
It’s possible the Bulls just wanted the extra cap space, as Barnes makes more and is on a longer deal, but at least he plays and contributes, more than you can say about Duarte.
Two second-round picks are fine, but as we know, they aren’t great assets on their own, and given the Bulls complete lack of draft capital, aren’t going to move the needle much.
I commend the Bulls for getting something, but it wasn’t much, even given the context.