Landon Buford
Earlier this month, four-time NBA All-Star DeMar DeRozan elected to sign a three-year deal worth around $85 million to join the Chicago Bulls. The deal would later turn into a sign and trade, which Shams Charania of The Athletic reported, involving the San Antonio Spurs. In exchange for DeRozan’s services, the Bulls sent Thad Young, a future first-round pick and two future second-round picks.
“With Vooch being there, Zach, the organization, the city, overall the whole spectrum of the team and the organization for me,” DeRozan said. “Obviously, once Lonzo signed, that made it even more appealing.
“You could see what they were working toward, and it was something I wanted to be a part of. It wasn’t too much of a pitch that they had to make after that.”
According to ESPN’s Marc J Spears, what closed the deal for the Bulls is the two-hour in-person conversation between DeRozan and Bulls’ GM Marc Eversley, who had a prior relationship with DeMar in Toronto.
There were rumors about him trying to Miami to join his former backcourt mate in Kyle Lowry, but that never materialized. Nevertheless, the Bulls additions of DeRozan, Lonzo Ball, and Alex Caruso are expected to make the playoffs. Especially with All-Stars Nikola Vucevic and Zach LaVine already on the roster.
