DeMar DeRozan enters the offseason with question marks surrounding his future with the Chicago Bulls. Set to become an unrestricted free agent should he be unable to reach an extension with the team, the 34-year-old star could have several suitors on the open market. However, recent rumors have suggested that DeRozan and the Bulls will find common ground on a new deal. In terms of possibly leaving the Bulls, DeRozan has made it clear that he intends on staying put.
“It's definitely somewhere I'd like to return to, I think more so than anybody,” DeRozan told Lou Williams on Wednesday during FanDuel's Run It Back show. “I'm one of those guys that tries to stick it through and make something out of nothing. The city is great, I love the city, the organization been great. So, it's definitely a place I'd like to return to and take care of unfinished business.”
Despite not signing an extension with the team throughout the course of the 2023-24 season, the talk around the league has always centered around the Bulls star not going anywhere. Teams that reached out to the Bulls to discuss DeRozan's availability ahead of the trade deadline in February were quickly turned down by Chicago.
Although success has been hard to come by for the Bulls, DeRozan has remained the centerpiece of their roster. Now, it appears as if the six-time All-Star is going to look to finish his career with the Bulls, hoping to turn their recent mishaps around.
DeMar DeRozan's upcoming contract talks
Perhaps the most important detail regarding DeRozan and his future with the Bulls is that the star wing was recently offered a two-year contract extension that would pay him about $40 million per season, according to NBC Sports Chicago's K.C. Johnson. DeRozan is looking for a longer-term deal that will secure his future with the Bulls.
Before free agency begins, DeRozan is eligible to sign a three-year, $130 million extension. If the two sides are unable to come to terms on a new deal, DeRozan's projected figures will only grow if he hits the open marketplace.
DeRozan has been with the Bulls since the start of the 2021-22 season, making the All-Star Game twice. He has gone 117-112 during the regular season with Chicago, making the playoffs in his first season with the team. Since then, the Bulls have failed to surpass 40 wins in a season, missing the playoffs via the play-in tournament each of the last two seasons.
Aside from DeRozan's contract situation, the Bulls also face major questions about Zach LaVine's future with the franchise. LaVine, who was on the trade block throughout the entirety of the 2023-24 season, remains on the roster heading into the summer after undergoing season-ending foot surgery in February. Lonzo Ball also remains a dark cloud that looms large over this franchise, seeing as he has not played in a game since January 2022.
The Bulls are expected to meet with DeRozan and his camp ahead of free agency to try and agree upon a new extension that is beneficial for both sides. Whether or not a deal can get done is yet to be seen.
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