The Chicago Bulls are now legitimate NBA title contenders for pretty much the first time since Michael Jordan was doing his thing in the Windy City.
Chicago’s brass made it clear earlier in free agency that the team is in win-now mode by acquiring Lonzo Ball in a sign-and-trade with the New Orleans Pelicans and signing fellow guard Alex Caruso.
Just when the fog was about to be settled in Chicago, the Bulls pulled off another blockbuster move.
According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, the Chicago Bulls have acquired four-time All-Star DeMar DeRozan from the San Antonio Spurs in a sign-and-trade. The blockbuster includes DeRozan agreeing to a three-year, $85 million contract with Chicago. Thaddeus Young, Al-Farouq Aminu, a future first-round pick and two second-round selections are headed back to San Antonio in the deal.
Chicago Bulls make monumental move in acquiring DeMar DeRozan
One of the better two-way players in the game, the 31-year-old DeRozan is coming off yet another spectacular season. He averaged 21.6 points, 4.2 rebounds and 6.9 assists on 50% shooting for an otherwise disappointing Spurs team in 2020-21.
The former USC standout is now added to a Chicago Bulls starting five that could rival any team in the Eastern Conference.
- Point guard: Lonzo Ball
- Shooting guard: Zach LaVine
- Center: Nikola Vučević
- Power forward: Patrick Williams
- Small forward: DeMar DeRozan
After years of being pretty much irrelevant on the broader NBA stage, the Chicago Bulls are seemingly right back in the mix.
Acquiring two All-Stars in DeRozan and Vučević over the past five months to team up with LaVine adds another layer to this. Picking up an improved Lonzo Ball will only help matters moving forward. It’s a new day in Chicago.