GettyDeMar DeRozan laying up the basketball during a March 4 game against the Sacramento Kings.
The Chicago Bulls and DeMar DeRozan have parted ways, with the six-time All-Star set to join the Sacramento Kings via sign-and-trade, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic.
It’s a sign-and-trade to the Kings, which will net DeRozan a three-year, $76 million deal per Charania.
In return, the Bulls will receive former Indiana Pacers first-round pick Chris Duarte, as well as cash and future second-round picks.
The 27-year-old is coming off of his third NBA campaign, and his first with the Kings. He averaged 3.9 points and 1.8 rebounds in 59 appearances last season.
ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski was first with reports of the full deal.
“The Sacramento Kings are agreed on a sign-and-trade that will land DeMar DeRozan on a three-year deal, send Harrison Barnes to the San Antonio Spurs and Chris Duarte, two second-round picks and cash to the Chicago Bulls,” Wojnarowski tweeted on July 6.
DeRozan is coming off of his 15th career season, and his third in Chicago.
He averaged 24 points, 5.3 assists, 4.3 rebounds, and 1.1 steals in 79 regular-season appearances with the Bulls last season.
Joe Cowley: Alex Caruso Trade Was ‘Final Straw’ for DeRozan
Once the Bulls flipped Alex Caruso for Josh Giddey, their intentions for next season were clear: development and non-contention.
DeRozan, at 34 years old, had no interest in returning to Chicago for another year without a championship shot. Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times reported as such in a July 1 column.
“A source told the Sun-Times late Sunday night that the Alex Caruso–Josh Giddey trade was the final straw in DeRozan’s mind for any sort of return, as the 34-year-old will now use his free agency to shop elsewhere,” Cowley wrote.
Now in Sacramento, DeRozan will not only have a chance to compete, but is close to his hometown of Compton, California.
The Kings are coming off of a 46-36 season that concluded with a play-in tournament loss to the New Orleans Pelicans.
For an offense that ranked 24th in fourth-quarter scoring last year, DeRozan makes a lot of sense as an addition.
He finished the 2023-2024 season with the most fourth-quarter points league-wide with 550.
Duarte a Reclamation Project for Chicago
Duarte is no young player, but he is coming off just his third NBA season.
After a strong rookie campaign with the Pacers that saw him post 13.5 points per game nightly, Duarte’s seen his minutes decline year over year: 1,541 in year one, 897 in year two, and 719 in year three.
Entering the final year of his rookie contract, the 27-year-old will be out to prove his market value. Whether or not Chicago is that invested in the forward is unclear.
The trade was likely just as much about recouping assets–cash, draft picks–as it was a returning player to fill DeRozan’s roster spot.
But Duarte is a career 34% three-point shooter, and the Bulls ranked 20th in three-point percentage. With the right shot volume, he should be able to impact one of the most glaring roster needs.
Elsewhere, Chicago opens up some cap flexibility with a trade exception.
K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports reported on the new asset in his trade report.
“The Bulls also will create a trade exception of roughly $17 million,” Johnson wrote on July 6. “Although they currently sit roughly $11 to $13 million below the luxury tax line with 14 contracts but one not yet guaranteed in Onuralp Bitim.”
The Bulls can use the trade exception to take on salary in an move that nets more assets, or let it expire altogether. But for the first time since DeRozan’s arrival, if not prior, Chicago is seemingly prioritizing assets and roster flexibility in their moves.