The Chicago Bulls made plenty of moves this NBA offseason to upgrade their roster. One of the bigger acquisitions that they made was DeMar DeRozan.
Chicago acquired DeRozan in a sign-and-trade with the San Antonio Spurs. The two sides agreed to a three-year, $85 million deal, and then he was traded to the Bulls. San Antonio received Thaddeus Young, Al-Farouq Aminu, a future first-round pick and two future second-round picks in the deal.
It was quite a haul for the Spurs, who never seemed overly interested in bringing DeRozan back.
Now, he is part of a group looking to make some noise this season in the Eastern Conference, led by Zach LaVine.
LATEST NBA NEWS & RUMORS: What Can We Reasonably Expect From Chicago Bulls In 2021-22?
Zach LaVine had a coming-out party last year, making his first All-Star game. He averaged 27.4 points, 5.0 rebounds, 4.9 assists, 0.8 steals, and 0.5 blocks in 35.1 minutes per game. Playing alongside him is something DeRozan is excited about, as he believes LaVine is an incredible player.
“The talent Zach has in this league is incredible,” DeRozan said. “It’s a shame that he hasn’t been able to be on a main stage and show that. Obviously, he had a chance with the Olympic team this year, but when you play in the NBA you want to see what it’s like in the postseason. So just having a dynamic guy like that in my career, I haven’t played with a talent at that wing position like Zach before.”
LaVine has yet to play on a team that has qualified for the postseason. 31 wins are the most a team he has ever been a part of has won in a season.
LATEST NBA NEWS & RUMORS: What Can We Reasonably Expect From Chicago Bulls In 2021-22?
Winning is something DeMar DeRozan thinks will happen in Chicago and he is happy that he will get to experience it with LaVine, who hasn’t done it much yet in the NBA.
“He’s incredible, he can score the ball, his athleticism, he’s one of a kind. And when I put everything I’ve been through in my career and share that with him – and also win together – that was one of the big reasons why I decided to even come to Chicago, is to play with a guy like Zach. Experience winning, experience something he hasn’t, and something I haven’t in a while either.”
The Bulls will certainly be vying for a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference this season. They are one of the teams that will likely fall below the upper echelon teams in the conference and be battling it out to avoid the NBA Play-In Tournament.
But, the Play-In Tournament atmosphere is one that the Bulls would likely thrive in as they have a player in Zach LaVine who can carry them in a single game to victory.
