The Chicago Bulls were a major threat out of the Eastern Conference last season, but Lonzo Ballās injury set them back in a major way. Now, they might end up breaking their roster up before the trade deadline.
The Bulls jeopardized their future by giving up multiple picks to get Nikola Vucevic, whoās been fairly inconsistent and has failed to live up to that value. So, they would be wise to try and recoup some of their Draft capital.
With that in mind, an unnamed GM recently stated that theyāre likely to move on from DeMar DeRozan, as Zach LaVine wants to be a franchise player, and that wonāt happen for as long as heās there.
NBA Rumors: Bulls Could Choose Zach LaVine Over DeMar DeRozan
(Transcript via Ryan Anston ā Heavy)
āWhile relations have remained cordial/respectful/friendly (pick your adjective here) between DeRozan and his younger co-star, the GM is certain that the Bulls are going to have to pick a lane sooner rather than later.
āThey get along fine, but it is no secret that LaVine wants to be the alpha there, so if they extend DeRozan, what happens with Zach? If they donāt trade DeRozan and they donāt give him an extension, they could lose him with no return.ā
ā[DeRozan] will be 34 at the start of next year. The Bulls will not want to give him four years under any circumstances, and thatās probably where things will end. It is probably going to wind up with them trading him away and bringing back a couple of role players who they feel can help out LaVine.āā
From an age standpoint, it would most definitely make sense to choose LaVine over DeRozan. But whether heāll want to commit to a rebuilding project rather than playing for a contenderremains to be seen.
