According to ESPN’s Jamal Collier, the Chicago Bulls and DeMar DeRozan were never close to agreeing to a contract extension. It didn’t matter if it was the beginning of the 2023-24 season, during, or even before he went to the Sacramento Kings.

Arturas Kanisovas and DeRozan maintained interest in keeping their partnership alive, but negotiations kept falling flat. The 34-year-old veteran reportedly helped the younger players develop throughout last season.

However, management wanted to go in a different direction after trading Alex Caruso. This separated both sides even more, as DeRozan’s leadership was no longer wanted, and a rebuild was going into full effect.

According to Marc Stein, it looks like the Chicago Bulls will have another season with Zach LaVine. His trade value is at an all-time low.

The hope is that LaVine can take next season and get his stock back up at a tradable level, which is possible if he meets the standards tagged to the amount of money he is commanding.

Chicago has maintained a large asking price for the 29-year-old, but that had its downfalls when teams – like the Los Angeles Lakers – saw it to be too much for a third option and opted out. LaVine’s contract, injury history, and positioning on a team all contributed to team’s opting out.

He averaged 19.5 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 3.9 assists in 34.9 minutes. Last season, LaVine only played in 25 games.

DeMar DeRozan Won’t Sign Anywhere Until Paul George’s Situation Is Done

According to Marc Stein, until Paul George signs somewhere, DeMar DeRozan will most likely wait and then assess his options. This is if the Chicago Bulls and him are discontinuing their partnership.

DeRozan has meetings with the Los Angeles Clippers, Orlando Magic, and Philadelphia 76ers. At one point, all teams were rumored to be interested in George.

It’s been stated that if George were to leave Los Angeles, then DeRozan could become a real acquisition for the franchise. He’s always wanted to play at home for years.

For additional knowledge, Chicago has yet to make meaningful progress with DeRozan. So, this means the Bulls could be getting out of the DeMar DeRozan business.