After being eliminated from the NBA Play-In Tournament with Friday’s 112-91 loss to the Miami Heat, the Chicago Bulls now are forced to focus on the offseason instead.
The 2024 NBA Draft will give the Bulls a chance to add an impact player, as they currently hold the 11th best odds to land the No. 1 overall pick. And NBA free agency will give the Bulls the opportunity to supply Billy Donovan with more talent on the roster, but before Chicago makes those decisions, they have another key move to consider.
Six-time All-Star DeMar DeRozan is set for unrestricted free agency, where the 34-year-old Compton native is expected to have several suitors. Yet, the Bulls reportedly recently made a last-ditch effort to try re-signing the versatile swingman.
According to NBC Sports Chicago’s K.C. Johnson, the Bulls made a two-year, $80 million contract extension offer to DeRozan to prevent their star scorer from reaching free agency.
However, Johnson says “DeRozan is seeking a longer-term deal.”
This doesn’t mean that DeRozan is for sure leaving the Windy City after three seasons, but more so that he wishes to test the waters, seeing which other offers exist in free agency before making a final decision.
Yet, after DeRozan’s comments about how much he “hates losing” following the teams’ Play-In Tournament elimination, it’s possible the aging All-NBA talent will prioritize landing with a contender over chasing a bigger paycheck this summer.