Chicago Bulls star and NBA legend DeMar DeRozan has become a potential trade target for rival franchises. The Bulls have recently been granted a $10,200,000 disabled player exception due to an ongoing knee injury to Lonzo Ball, according to CBS Sports. DeRozan, who will be entering free agency at the end of the new campaign, has not yet signed an extension due to a lack of an agreement between the two parties.
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Now, according to Brian Windhorst, DeRozan is being looked at as a potential target by rival franchises. In case he does not extend with the Bulls, the 6-time All-Star is set to emerge as a trade target for teams in the coming time. The news regarding the development was initially posted by NBA Central on Twitter.
DeMar DeRozan emerges as a trade target despite Lonzo Ball’s exception
Lonzo Ball’s knee surgery means that he is fully focused on his recovery and hopes to return for the 2024-25 campaign. Despite rumors of a potential return sometime in the 2023-24 season, Ball recently announced that he will be missing the entirety of the campaign.
This led to the NBA granting the Chicago Bulls a $10,200,000 trade exception for the season, which could potentially have been used to sign DeRozan. However, that does not seem to be the case, and the player seems set to enter the final year of his deal.
This has led to him becoming a potential trade target, especially as the season goes along:
“One guy to keep an eye on, for everybody, the whole league, this year is DeMar DeRozan. If he doesn’t extend with the Bulls, I think he becomes a trade target as the season goes along.”
Windhorst believes that if DeRozan does not extend in the coming days, he will eventually become a target for other teams. The 6-time All-Star is still only 33 and is regarded as one of the best scorers of the current generation. There is little doubt that a number of teams will flock for his signature if he does not extend with the Bulls.
DeMar DeRozan will be an asset for most NBA teams
DeRozan was recently announced as one of the top 40 players in the NBA by ESPN, according to Sports Illustrated. Listed at number 39, the 33-year-old is coming off an impressive campaign and has not slowed down in recent times.
He ended up with 24.5 points, 5.1 assists, and 4.6 rebounds per game the last time around, and had an impressive overall efficiency of over 52%. DeRozan can easily be an asset for a range of playoff and even title contenders, and continues to play at a high level.
He was initially expected to be tied down by the Bulls in the current offseason. However, that now seems unlikely, which means there is plenty of room for other teams to step in, in the coming time.
