The Chicago Bulls have already had a busy offseason early on, and on Tuesday, they added to their roster yet again.
According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the Bulls signed star wing DeMar DeRozan to a three-year, $85 million contract as part of a sign-and-trade with the San Antonio Spurs.
In return, San Antonio receives veteran forwards Thaddeus Young and Al-Farouq Aminu, along with a protected 2025 first-round pick and two future second-round picks.
DeRozan becomes the third player added by the Bulls in free agency thus far, as Chicago signed guard Alex Caruso to a four-year deal and acquired star guard Lonzo Ball via sign-and-trade last week.
(The Bulls also, notably, added center Nikola Vucevic from the Orlando Magic at the trade deadline last season.)
After continuing to expand his playmaking abilities while in San Antonio, DeRozan comes to this revamped Bulls team averaging 21.6 points, 6.9 assists and 4.2 rebounds per game in the 2020-21 season.
There are questions about DeRozan’s fit with the Bulls due to he, Zach LaVine and Ball all at their best with the ball in their hands. That’s without even factoring in necessary Vucevic touches.
Fortunately, due to DeRozan’s penchant for passing, Ball’s growth as an off-ball shooter last season and LaVine’s career-long status as a legitimate outside threat, there’s hope that the trio will be able to co-exist without one being relegated to a bench role.
The Bulls still have a lot of work to do this offseason, with a handful of roster spots still left to fill, but Chicago’s core is already showing signs of intrigue.
