The Chicago Bulls have reportedly extended an offer to former All-Star DeMar DeRozan that may total up to $80 million over the course of two seasons, according to K.C. Johnson of NBC Chicago.
If true, the soon-to-be 35-year-old would receive a hefty temporary salary boost. Over the past several years, his influence has somewhat decreased.
Is it, however, the best course of action for the Bulls, who have for years appeared to be a worn-out and uninspired team and have once again missed out on the real playoffs?
In a vacuum, there’s an argument to be made on behalf of DeRozan earning such a contract. Outside of being a high-level player (24.0 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 5.3 assists), he’s also a tremendous locker room presence, who is known to take younger players under his wing.
The Bulls, who by all accounts are open to making a pivot in their organizational direction, could decide to invest in DeRozan as both a played and mentor, further justifying such a contractual number. After all, can you really put a price on a professional locker room where freshmen get encouragement and support from their seniors?
The question is why should DeRozan remain on a team that is trying to get younger? If financial compensation is the answer, the Bulls should keep him around so he can continue to help their young core and the additional young players that will come in in the coming years.
However, some difficulties may arise with such an agreement.
DeRozan continues to have a positive impact in wins. That’s certainly not a bad thing, but for a Bulls team in need of a complete rebuild, it could prevent them from being in the deep lottery next year with Duke forward Cooper Flagg ready to make the jump to the NBA.
That doesn’t mean the Bulls will get him even though they have the worst record in the league. But you can’t win the lottery if you don’t play, and the more chances you have, the better your chances of getting a high-end player, which is in short supply in Chicago these days.
The Bulls find themselves in a strange situation where they’re moving in multiple directions at the same time.
They have been trying to trade Zach LaVine since the beginning of the season, but without success.
Nikola Vučević is turning 34 right at the start of next season, is only entering Year 2 of his contract extension. Coby White, 24, just broke out as a fringe All-Star caliber player, and now they’re looking at re-signing DeRozan who’s about to turn 35.
Chicago is basically all over the place, with no obvious plan, short-term or long-term, meaning signing DeRozan to a new contract would be a little too premature until a new path has been laid down.
Naturally, the Bulls haven’t taken any action to demonstrate their ability to prepare for the future or even to look past the current season. All 29 front offices in the league would be happy to see them continue this trend, as it would free them up from having to spend time preparing for the Bulls to succeed.
