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 multiple reports, led by The Athletic’s Shams Charania and ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, DeMar DeRozan has been traded from the Chicago Bulls to the Sacramento Kings.

DeRozan has agreed to a three-year, $74 million deal, which is official through sign-and-trade. This is a three-way trade involving Sacramento, Chicago, and the San Antonio Spurs.

The Bulls are getting Chris Duarte, two second-round picks. The Kings are getting DeRozan, while the Spurs are getting Harrison Barnes.

While general manager Brian Wright isn’t landing DeRozan, he did get Barnes to pair with Victor Wembanyama and a young squad.

According to Bleacher Report’s Chris Haynes, De’Aaron Fox was crucial in pitching Sacramento to DeRozan. During the meeting, both were known to be “ecstatic” to play with each other. The top three players will be DeRozan, Fox, and Domantas Sabonis.

During the Kings NBA Summer League game, DeRozan walked out to a crowd, giving him a standing ovation that was very excited to see him in their building.

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.