The Chicago Bulls continue to close the gap on the top of the Eastern Conference after acquiring DeMar DeRozan and signing Lonzo Ball. So how good can the Bulls be this year?
If you were looking for some even bigger news in NBA free agency this week, the Chicago Bulls and San Antonio Spurs have delivered just that on Tuesday. According to insider Shams Charania, the two sides have agreed to a blockbuster trade that sends DeMar DeRozan to Chicago.
Goodness. This is quite the move, as the Bulls just brought in quite the playmaker for their offense.
With DeRozan now joining a loaded lineup that also features Lonzo Ball, Zach Lavine, Nikola Vucevic and last year’s No. 4 pick, Patrick Williams, can the Bulls end up making serious noise next season?
With DeMar DeRozan and Lonzo Ball complementing Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevic, the Bulls have a roster to win a playoff series or two
In this sign-and-trade move, DeRozan is also getting a three-year, $85 million contract.
DeRozan adds quite the presence for the Chicago offense, as the sharpshooter hasn’t scored less than 20 points per game since the 2012-13 season. Last year for San Antonio, DeRozan recorded 21.6 points in 33.7 minutes per game.
Now, he’ll be arriving to the Bulls and teaming up with Ball which should be quite the force. Chicago, which has also brought in Alex Caruso in free agency, has made plenty of noise with these moves on the heels of drafting All-American guard Ayo Dosunmu in the second round of the NBA Draft.
Will it be enough to scare the Milwaukee Bucks and Brooklyn Nets?
Not right away.
With that said, this team is loaded with young talent, highlighted by Coby White and Patrick Williams. Come next season, the Bulls sure have what it takes to get to the playoffs and surprise just like the Atlanta Hawks did this past season. Anything less than a playoff appearance will be a disappointment, but really, the goals should be that much higher after the moves made this offseason.