DeMar DeRozan Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Bulls, DeRozan “Far Apart” On Contract Extension

December 11th, 2023 at 8:16pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Bulls and veteran wing DeMar DeRozan are far apart on a potential contract extension, according to Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report (video link).

DeRozan is in the final season of a three-year, $81.9MM contract. He’s making $28.6MM this season and will be an unrestricted free agent if he doesn’t ink an extension.

Chicago was in a similar situation with center Nikola Vucevic last season but wound up re-signing him to a three-year, $60MM deal just before free agency.

However, Haynes’ sources said it’s unlikely that will occur with DeRozan. A more probable scenario is that they’ll look to move him rather than risk losing their leading scorer without getting some assets back for him.

“I was told that if DeRozan and the Bulls, if they cannot reach a contract extension, it is pretty likely that the Bulls may look to move DeMar DeRozan at the trade deadline,” Haynes said. “I don’t think the Bulls want to be put in a situation where DeMar DeRozan can walk in free agency and they get nothing in return.”

Haynes stressed that the Bulls aren’t currently shopping DeRozan, who is averaging 21.8 points, 5.0 assists and 3.8 rebounds per night. His shooting averages are down, compared to the last two seasons.

He posted averages of 24.5 points, 5.1 assists and 4.6 rebounds last season while shooting 50.45 from the field. He’s made 44.2% of his field-goal attempts through Chicago’s first 21 games this season.

The Heat and Knicks are among the teams that have previously been named as destinations that would appeal to DeRozan. The Lakers have also been thrown into the mix as a possible suitor.

At the start of the season, DeRozan said he wasn’t the type of player who pushes for a trade: “I feel like I wouldn’t be able to lay down comfortably if I went somewhere and said, ‘(Expletive) trade me. I’m tired of this.’ That’s just not me. I’m going to compete, be the best version I can be and let it go from there.”

Knicks Notes: Trade Rumors, Towns, Quickley, Grades

December 8th, 2023 at 11:04am CST by Luke Adams

Although the Knicks have conveyed to potential trade partners that they want to acquire a star, they don’t expect one to become available during the 2023/24 season, Fred Katz writes for The Athletic.

Katz, like Ian Begley of SNY.tv, has heard from league sources that New York hasn’t expressed any serious interest in Bulls scorers Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan, who are presumably a tier or two below the level of player the Knicks would ideally like to land in any major trade. Sixers center Joel Embiid is one example of the kind of star who would interest New York’s front office, but Philadelphia’s success this season has reduced the likelihood that the Knicks will get a chance to make a play for Embiid anytime soon, Katz notes.

At this time last year, the Knicks had already been in touch with some teams to gauge Immanuel Quickley‘s potential trade value, but things have been quiet so far this season, Katz continues. Still, some people within the Knicks’ front office believe a “too-many-guys situation could be brewing,” sources tell The Athletic, so a consolidation trade at some point this season is a possibility.

Here’s more on the Knicks, including some additional trade-related chatter from Katz:

The Knicks checked in on Karl-Anthony Towns earlier this season, but didn’t make an offer for the Timberwolves big man and haven’t made a “serious run” at him in recent years, Katz writes. Towns has frequently been cited as a possible trade target for the Knicks due to his connections to executives Leon Rose (a former CAA agent) and Gersson Rosas (Minnesota’s former head of basketball operations), but the Wolves are off to a 16-4 start and presumably won’t be looking to make significant roster changes.
Teams around the NBA are curious to see how the Knicks will handle Quickley, who will be a restricted free agent in 2024, says Katz. According to Begley, when Quickley and the Knicks talked about a rookie scale extension prior to the season, the two sides couldn’t agree on the structure of a potential deal. They didn’t discuss incentives, but at least one offer made by New York included a team option on the final season, Begley adds. Just two of the 14 players who signed rookie scale extensions this year – Isaiah Stewart and Cole Anthony – agreed to deals that included team options.
Stefan Bondy of The New York Post (subscription required) hands out his grades for the first quarter of the 2023/24 season, awarding Jalen Brunson an A and giving both Quickley and Julius Randle a B-plus. Josh Hart (C-minus) and Quentin Grimes (D-minus), who have voiced concerns about their respective roles, didn’t fare as well.

New York Notes: LaVine, DeRozan, Bogdanovic, Dinwiddie, DSJ

December 7th, 2023 at 9:17am CST by Arthur Hill

The Knicks are searching for ways to upgrade their roster, but they haven’t engaged in serious trade talks with the Bulls about Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan or any other players, sources tell Ian Begley of SNY.tv. New York has been floated as a potential suitor for LaVine and reportedly explored a possible deal with Chicago prior to last season’s deadline. The Bulls are hoping to find a taker for LaVine, but his latest injury setback should cool any interest around the league, at least for a while.

Bojan Bogdanovic has also been a target for the Knicks in the past, but Begley’s sources say Detroit isn’t looking to move him right now. Bogdanovic recently returned from a calf strain, and the Pistons hope he can help snap an 18-game losing streak and get them heading in the right direction before considering any deals.

There’s more from New York City:

Recent frustration expressed by Knicks guards Josh Hart and Quentin Grimes is the result of a poorly constructed roster with too many redundant players, contends Stefan Bondy of The New York Post. Bondy points out that team president Leon Rose created a roster imbalance this summer when he traded power forward Obi Toppin to Indiana for virtually nothing and signed shooting guard Donte DiVincenzo. The move gave New York too many guards and wings, without enough playing time to keep them all satisfied. Grimes is unhappy about losing minutes to DiVincenzo, but Bondy notes that the same situation occurred last year when Evan Fournier was replaced by Grimes. Bondy’s solution is to either move Grimes to the second unit, which would give him more play-making duties, or to balance the roster with a long-rumored trade for another star.
Spencer Dinwiddie has been willing to adapt his role amid heavy injuries to the Nets‘ backcourt, notes Brian Lewis of The New York Post. Ben Simmons, Dennis Smith Jr., Cam Thomas and Lonnie Walker have all missed time already, forcing Dinwiddie to spend more time running the offense, and he has posted one of the best assist-to-turnover ratios in the league. Dinwiddie will be a free agent next summer, and Lewis says there’s a belief in league circles that his next contract could top the $81MM over four years that Hart received from the Knicks.
Smith, who refers to himself as “a savage,” has been showing why the Nets were so determined to add him in free agency, observes CJ Holmes of The New York Daily News. Smith returned Saturday after missing six games with a lower back sprain, adding another level of toughness to Brooklyn’s scrappy lineup.

Central Notes: Weaver, Crowder, White, DeMar

December 3rd, 2023 at 1:55pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

The Pistons are currently mired in a league-worst 17-game losing streak. If Detroit isn’t able to somewhat right this ship, even while clearly headed for the lottery this year, general manager Troy Weaver should be fired so a new front office can thrive, opines Shawn Windsor of The Detroit Free Press.

Windsor writes that the Pistons are currently on a 7.5-game win pace for the rest of the season, which would shatter the current record for a full 82-game NBA slate.

Given that the club will have lots of space under the league’s projected salary cap next summer, through which it could add veterans and make significant transactions to improve, Windsor submits that Weaver should not be in a decision-making role with the Pistons at that juncture — barring some kind of growth this year.

There’s more out of the Central Division:

Following a November 14 surgery to correct a partial tear in his left adductor, Bucks reserve forward Jae Crowder is on the mend, having resumed individual on-court work within the last week, writes Jim Owczarski of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. “When I touched the ball, I was like, ‘All right, I’m getting close,’” Crowder said. The 33-year-old combo forward was a solid two-way contributor for Milwaukee when healthy this year. In his nine healthy games, he’s logging 8.1 PPG on .532/.416/.583 shooting splits, along with 3.9 RPG, 1.7 APG and 0.8 SPG.
Bulls starting point guard Coby White is enjoying an excellent start to the season for a struggling 7-14 Chicago club. His willingness to shoot from distance early and often has played a part in the team’s current two-game mini-win streak, writes K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago. The 6’5″ guard is averaging 15.0 PPG on .427/.403/.846 shooting splits, 4.2 APG, 3.1 RPG and 0.9 SPG. He’s connecting on a career-best 40.3% of his career-most 7.1 three-pointers per night.
Bulls All-Star small forward DeMar DeRozan seems to be rediscovering the passing game that he developed during his three-year stint with the Spurs, writes Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times. To wit, he notched a season-most 10 dimes during Chicago’s surprise 124-118 win over the Pelicans on Saturday. “Just being unselfish, pushing the pace,” DeRozan said of his — and the team’s — approach to the victory.

Bulls Notes: DeRozan, Options, Dosunmu, Phillips, Williams

December 1st, 2023 at 5:36pm CST by Rory Maher

Chicago figures to be at the center of many trade conversations around the league after a disappointing start has the team sitting with a 6-14 record — 13th in the East — after 20 games.

Along the same lines, scouts and executives Sam Amick of The Athletic has spoken to believe Bulls forward DeMar DeRozan is “very likely” to be traded prior to the February deadline. According to Amick, the Heat and Knicks are teams that appeal to DeRozan, who is on an expiring $28.6MM contract.

DeRozan, 34, was an All-Star each of the past two seasons for Chicago and earned an All-NBA Second Team nod in 2021/22. His numbers are down a bit this season, but he’s still averaging 21.3 PPG, 4.6 APG, 3.2 RPG and 1.0 SPG on .450/.364/.810 shooting in 18 games (35.2 MPG).

Here’s more on the Bulls:

Keith Smith of Spotrac believes the Bulls should tear down their roster and basically start from scratch. Smith takes an in-depth look at Chicago’s assets and salary cap situation, and lists five trade proposals to kick-start a rebuild, though he acknowledges the Bulls are highly unlikely to undergo such a drastic overhaul.
Third-year guard Ayo Dosunmu got his first start of the ’23/24 season in Thursday’s overtime victory over Milwaukee and played well, per K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago. Dosunmu, who finished with 14 points (on 6-of-8 shooting), six rebounds, six assists and three steals in 39 minutes, received praise from head coach Billy Donovan. “He was great because his tempo and pace in pick-and-roll was really good. He wasn’t rushed,” Donovan said. “He read the floor. He read the defense. He made really good decisions, not only for himself but he generated shots for other guys. He got Vooch (Nikola Vucevic) a lot of opportunities.” Dosunmu is likely to continue to receive more run with Zach LaVine set to miss the next week due to foot soreness, Johnson adds.
Julian Phillips, a second-round pick who was selected 35th overall in this year’s draft, played a season-high 14 minutes on Thursday with both LaVine and DeRozan (ankle) sidelined, Johnson notes in another story. The 20-year-old small forward missed all three of his field goal attempts, but he played with aggression and had three rebounds and three assists, Johnson writes.
Fourth-year forward Patrick Williams, a restricted free agent in 2024, is starting to turn things around after an extremely slow start, according to Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times. “Patrick has done a good job,” Donovan said. “He’s been more consistent (with) being physical and feeling his presence out there.” Williams is averaging 13.6 PPG and 5.0 RPG on .520/.474/.875 shooting over the past five games, including four starts (31.5 MPG).

Bulls Notes: LaVine, DeRozan, Donovan, Karnisovas

November 29th, 2023 at 9:50pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Bulls‘ final chance to make a statement in the in-season tournament ended with a 27-point loss at Boston and that wasn’t the extent of the bad news, writes K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago. Zach LaVine left the game midway through the third quarter with foot soreness, a condition that caused him to miss last Wednesday’s contest at Oklahoma City. DeMar DeRozan also got pulled from the game in the third quarter after getting knocked down on a foul and experiencing pain in his left ankle.

It has been a frustrating season for Chicago, which went 0-4 in the tournament and has now dropped eight of its last nine games. With trade rumors swirling around several players, LaVine said it’s important to focus on each game rather than the bigger picture.

“You go out there and play, man,” said LaVine, who added that he’s “day to day” with the soreness. “You got a lot of season left. You don’t play the scoreboard. You look at the standings, obviously. But you try to win every game you step into and that’s what we’re going to try to do.”

There’s more on the Bulls:

Coach Billy Donovan tried a lineup change on Tuesday, starting Patrick Williams and moving Alex Caruso to the bench to stabilize the second unit, notes Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times. Donovan continues to search for a spark that will snap the team out of its early-season funk. ‘‘Yeah, I take ownership in this, too, in terms of what I’ve got to do,” he told reporters. “I’m not obviously making the decisions that maybe (president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas) is making or Jerry and Michael (Reinsdorf) are making, and I’m not making decisions on the court that the players are making. But what do I have control over? What’s my responsibility? Where can I get better and how can I improve to help? I’m a big believer in you are what your record says you are. I’m not going to sit here and say, ‘Well, we had a couple of tough losses, and we could be .500.’ No, this is what we are, and how can we get better?’’
Blame for the Bulls’ failure should be directed at Karnisovas, who assembled a roster that ranks 26th in offense and 22nd in defense, states Darnell Mayberry of The Athletic. Mayberry argues that Karnisovas should have broken up the core of the team at the February trade deadline and could have done more in free agency than just signing Torrey Craig and Jevon Carter.
This season will be defined more by what Karnisovas can do on the trade market rather than wins and losses, Johnson states in a separate story. League sources tell Johnson that the organization is focused on finding an acceptable trade for LaVine, and Karnisovas is telling teams calling about other players that he wants to see what his roster looks like after a LaVine deal before beginning any of those discussions.

L.A. Notes: Lakers, Trade Targets, Coffey, Hyland, Harden

November 29th, 2023 at 3:39pm CST by Luke Adams

Appearing on Hoops Tonight (Twitter video link), Jovan Buha of The Athletic confirmed that the Lakers have some interest in Bulls guard Zach LaVine, but said there are a couple other Chicago players who may be higher on Los Angeles’ wish list.

“I’ve actually heard that they’re more interested in DeMar DeRozan and Alex Caruso,” Buha said. “AC, he’s the one that got away. Lakers fans, it still bothers them. Inside the organization, it’s a very divisive topic. And then DeMar is someone that the Lakers have courted for several years. Both of those guys are on more manageable contracts (than LaVine).

“… I think both of those guys make more sense within what the Lakers need. There’s real interest in all three guys, but from what I’ve been told, DeMar and Alex are higher on their priority list.”

Here’s more on the NBA’s two L.A. teams:

Within a comprehensive look at potential trade candidates around the NBA, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype says that rival executives believe D’Angelo Russell and Rui Hachimura are among the Lakers players worth monitoring as the trade deadline nears. Scotto also cites one exec who suggests keeping an eye on the possibility of an Amir Coffey trade if the Clippers want to try to reduce their tax bill at all.
No Clippers players have had their minutes more affected by James Harden‘s arrival than Bones Hyland. He averaged 26.2 minutes per night before Harden’s debut; since then, he has logged 12.9 MPG with six DNPs. As Janis Carr of The Orange County Register details, head coach Tyronn Lue has told Hyland his opportunities will come and the young guard is determined to remain patient. “Obviously everybody would be (bothered), especially for someone who wants to play like myself,” Hyland said. “But at the end of the day, sometimes the coaches see different things and maybe it’s not my time for a reason. … My whole life I try to stay positive, so I don’t let little things throw me off or change my attitude and stuff like that.”
Speaking today to reporters, Lue said that he isn’t considering a starting lineup change but that he’s thinking about tweaking his rotation, adding that the Clippers need Harden to be “more aggressive” (Twitter thread via Andrew Greif of The Los Angeles Times).

Central Rumors: Pistons, Bulls, Hield, Cavaliers

November 29th, 2023 at 2:12pm CST by Luke Adams

Veteran forward Bojan Bogdanovic is expected to be the Pistons trade candidate who generates the most interest from rival teams this season, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, who hears from league sources that the club turned down two first-round picks from a contender in an offer for Bogdanovic last season.

It’s unclear what sort of protections those first-rounders might’ve had, but head coach Monty Williams “loves” Bogdanovic, per Scotto, so Detroit may set a high asking price for him again at the 2024 deadline.

Alec Burks, Monte Morris, and Killian Hayes are among the other Pistons players who figure to draw trade interest this winter, Scotto writes. League sources tell HoopsHype that Detroit had exploratory talks earlier this year with the Rockets about a trade that would have sent Burks to Houston in exchange for several second-round picks and Kevin Porter Jr. (who would’ve been waived).

Here are a few more of Scotto’s trade-related rumors and notes from around the Central:

Bulls guard Alex Caruso would be a hot commodity on the trade market if he’s available, but rival executives who spoke to Scotto say Chicago still hasn’t shown a willingness to move him. Multiple execs believe the Bulls could get a first-round pick and a rotation player for Caruso, Scotto notes.
How much might the Bulls get in exchange for Zach LaVine or DeMar DeRozan? “I think Zach LaVine can get a first back, maybe another first-round pick if it’s in this draft since it’s so weak,” one executive told Scotto. “DeMar DeRozan is worth a first in this draft in the 20s since it’s a weak draft, and he’s unrestricted at the end of the season. He can be a third scorer on a winning team.” Scotto says the Bulls are currently valuing players who could help them win immediately, rather than looking to tear down the roster and stockpile future draft picks.
Although Buddy Hield was identified in September as a potential trade candidate, the Pacers have set a high asking price for the veteran sharpshooter and don’t appear particularly eager to move him, according to Scotto. Five NBA executives who spoke to HoopsHype suggested it would take a first-round pick and a rotation player to pry Hield away from Indiana. Rival teams are also monitoring veteran Pacers guard, T.J. McConnell, Scotto adds.
Jarrett Allen and Caris LeVert had their names pop up in trade speculation last season, but the Cavaliers want to keep both players through the 2024 deadline, barring a deal that moves the club closer to title contention, per Scotto.

Karnisovas, Donovan Appear To Be Safe In Chicago

November 27th, 2023 at 10:03am CST by Arthur Hill

Despite the Bulls‘ miserable start, president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas and head coach Billy Donovan don’t seem to be in danger of getting fired, meaning any changes to turn the season around will have to focus on the roster, writes K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago.

Karnisovas “has been given the green light to try to fix the current mess,” according to Johnson, who notes that ownership is typically slow to make changes to its front office. Karnisovas received an extension in the spring, which indicates the organization still has confidence in him.

Donovan is “liked and respected by both ownership and management,” Johnson adds, plus he still has multiple years remaining on his contract extension. Johnson points out that the Reinsdorfs don’t like to pay fired coaches, so Donovan isn’t likely to be dismissed, although changes may be made to his coaching staff.

Chicago dropped to 5-13 with Sunday’s loss at Brooklyn, which marked its fourth straight defeat and the seventh in its last eight games. The players understand that they’re underperforming, according to Johnson, and they know that a quick turnaround is the only way to prevent a roster shakeup.

“Rumors come with the territory,” Nikola Vucevic said. “If you’re playing well, everything is great. Everybody is talking positive about you. If you’re losing, you get criticized and rumors start. We have to deal with that. The only way to deal with it is for us to play better. That’s the only way for that to stop.”

Johnson suggests the Bulls’ core problem may be a flawed roster built around Vucevic, Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan. He points out that those three players have been on the court together for 370 minutes so far this season and they have a net rating of minus-13.9.

Reports earlier this month indicated that LaVine and the organization are both open to finding a deal to send him elsewhere. However, the team has placed a high asking price on the 28-year-old guard and his pricey salary and injury history are limiting interest around the league.

DeRozan, who has an expiring $28.6MM contract and reportedly hasn’t made much progress in extension talks, is also considered to be a trade candidate, along with Alex Caruso, a defensive standout with a team-friendly deal. Most of the free agents who signed contracts this summer will become eligible to be traded on December 15, so that’s when the Bulls might become active if their record hasn’t improved.

The team’s stars are hoping that won’t happen, Johnson adds, but they know the only way to keep the current roster together is to start winning.

“We all get along,” LaVine said. “Nobody wants to be 5-13 or lose multiple games in a row. It doesn’t feel good. It didn’t feel like we’d be at this point now. But that’s our reality. So we have to figure out how to get out of that hole. Try to get a win. That’s all we try to worry about.”

Bulls’ DeRozan “Beyond Frustrated” After Latest Loss

November 24th, 2023 at 11:34pm CST by Rory Maher

Bulls forward DeMar DeRozan received his second technical foul and was ejected with one second remaining in Friday’s loss at Toronto after having choice words with the Raptors’ bench.

As K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago writes, DeRozan was upset that Raptors forward Pascal Siakam attempted a three-pointer with three seconds remaining while Toronto was up 12 points and could have let the clock run out.

Raptors coach Darko Rajakovic told Bulls coach Billy Donovan after the game that they were focused on the point differential (for tiebreakers) during the in-season tournament contest, but Toronto had already been eliminated from the tournament when Orlando defeated Boston earlier in the day.

“I don’t care about no in-season tournament points, none of that. Just respect for the game,” DeRozan said. “If the roles was flip-flopped and I had the ball, hold it. It is what it is.”

“I mean, I knew that (they were eliminated),” DeRozan continued. “But I didn’t care about that either. Just everybody was yelling at him, ‘Score, score, score.’ Take the win. Get out of here. Like I said, if roles were reversed, needing in-season tournament points or not, just for the respect I have for my opponents, I hold the ball. Especially if there’s no shot clock. That’s just me.”

Of course, the bigger concern for the Bulls is the fact that they’re now 5-12, having lost three straight and six of their past seven games. According to Johnson, DeRozan was exasperated by the latest loss — he ripped a towel during a timeout and tore off his jersey after the ejection.

“I can’t fake it. I’m beyond frustrated. And I think it’s rightfully so as a competitor,” DeRozan said. “Everybody in this locker room is frustrated. It’s from a good place of being a competitor and wanting to figure it out that badly. Put a couple wins together. I really truly believe that can shift everything for us.

“… We gotta challenge ourselves. We can’t have those spiritual talks. We gotta challenge each other to leave it all the way out there. That’s a good thing to be challenged. Ask something of yourself more than you ever have at this point, myself included. That’s where we’re at.”

As we previously noted, things won’t get any easier for Chicago in the near future. The team has a really tough schedule over the next few weeks, so the Bulls will have to play much better to have a shot at turning their season around.