Chicago Bulls

Chicago Bulls general manager Marc Eversley said he wishes DeMar DeRozan was still with the team but acknowledged it was time for both sides to move on.

"You know, the pivot away from him, I would love if he was still a Chicago Bull right now. But I think doing right by the organization and letting him explore that opportunity to go somewhere else and try to win, we were not positioned well enough to bring him back. And two, trying to help him chase that dream (of winning) as well," Eversley told reporters Sunday.

The Bulls agreed to a sign-and-trade deal earlier this month that sent DeRozan to the Sacramento Kings. The Kings traded Chris Duarte, two second-round picks and cash to Chicago, while Harrison Barnes and a 2031 pick swap were sent to the San Antonio Spurs.

DeRozan inked a three-year, $73.9 million deal with the Kings as part of the deal. Eversley said the Bulls will miss DeRozan's leadership ability in the locker room.

"I think he was an extension of (coach) Billy (Donovan) on the court and off the court. The three years he gave us were unbelievable, far exceeded my expectations," Eversley said.

Chicago is in the midst of what will likely be a multiyear rebuild. In addition to signing-and-trading DeRozan, the Bulls also sent veteran guard Alex Caruso to the Oklahoma City Thunder for Josh Giddey.

The front office is expected to continue exploring trade avenues, with Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevic being the most likely trade targets in the coming months.

Chicago Bulls executive vice president Artūras Karnišovas said he expects Zach LaVine to be with the team when training camp begins in September.

"We expect Zach being fully healthy. And he is healthy. I think he can help this group next year. He's been professional," Karnišovas told reporters Sunday. "Again, he's healthy. We expect him to be with us at the start of training camp."

The Bulls kicked off what will likely be a multiyear rebuilding process this summer, trading Alex Caruso to the Oklahoma City Thunder for Josh Giddey and sending DeMar DeRozan to the Sacramento Kings in a sign-and-trade.

LaVine and center Nikola Vucevic are the odd men out, aging veterans in a rotation that will almost exclusively include players under the age of 25.

Karnišovas would almost certainly love to find a taker for either veteran piece, but neither has much of a trade market at the moment. LaVine has three years and $138 million left on his max deal and is coming off a disappointing, injury-riddled campaign. He averaged just 19.5 points per game, his lowest since 2017-18, during a time when scoring is exploding across the NBA.

Given LaVine's main calling card is his scoring ability, his downturn last season isn't going to have teams lighting up Karnišovas' phone.

Vucevic only has $41.5 million remaining on his contract, which lasts through the 2025-26 season, but he turns 34 in October and has become a severely below-average defensive big. The Bulls can likely stomach keeping Vucevic on for the remainder of his contract, but it wouldn't be a surprise if he sees some interest once the season gets underway.

Sacramento Kings wing DeMar DeRozan issued a fond farewell to the Chicago Bulls and their fans after his three-year tenure there came to an end.

DeRozan averaged 25.5 points, 5.1 assists and 4.7 rebounds per game in his three seasons in Chicago. He obviously emerged as a fan favorite for the Bulls, becoming the team's best and most consistent player during his time there.

It'll be tough for the Bulls to replace DeRozan's on-court production and the intangibles he brought as well. But the 34-year-old is now a Sacramento King after he landed in town via a sign-and-trade and inked a three-year, $73.7 million contract, forming a great core alongside Domantas Sabonis, De'Aaron Fox and Malik Monk.

Newly-signed Sacramento King DeMar DeRozan says it was not a difficult choice to star in Kendrick Lamar "Not Like Us" music video amid the rapper's ongoing feud with Drake.

"Love Drake, always can play him (in Sacramento's Golden 1 Center)," DeRozan told Fox40's Sean Cunningham. "Kendrick's been a friend of mine, family. Damn near family, for a long time, for a while. We're from the same city, we're up down there in the same neighborhood.

"It's always been there. It hasn't always been publicized, but that's basically family."

DeRozan appeared on stage alongside Russell Westbrook and Lamar during the first live performance of "Not Like Us" during the rappers' Juneteenth concert.

The NBA star then made a cameo in the music video for the Drake diss track released last week.

DeRozan, who spent his first nine NBA seasons playing for Drake's hometown Toronto Raptors, is shown in the video during the line "I'm glad DeRoz came home, y'all didn't deserve him neither."

Both DeRozan and Lamar are from Compton, California, where they attended high schools three miles apart.

"I knew Kendrick growing up," DeRozan told NBC Sports Chicago's K.C. Johnson in 2021. "It's a small city. You find motivation from whoever comes before you. And everybody always supports one another, the ones that are coming up.

"It's a crazy bond when you sit back and look at the ones who came through that city and are successful. I definitely have a great relationship with Kendrick."

Now that DeRozan has appeared in one of Lamar's music videos, the old friendship between the two Compton natives will be more well known. DeRozan was even introduced to the Kings home crowd Sunday with "Not Like Us" playing in the background at Golden 1.

Zach LaVine's agent Rich Paul said on Thursday that his client "deserves better" amid reports of his allegedly strained relationship with the Chicago Bulls.

"I want to make this clean and clear: This whole idea that Zach has been anything but professional in this situation is false," the Klutch Sports Group CEO told NBC Sports' KC Johnson. "This guy has played hurt. He has represented the franchise with class. A lot has taken place during his time with the Bulls and he's taken the high road every time.

"Does every player get frustrated at times? Yes. But Zach has been the ultimate professional and deserves better. The Bulls have business to do. And we're letting them handle their business."

Paul's comments after Joe Cowley reported for the Chicago Sun-Times that an "NBA insider" said that the relationship between LaVine and the Bulls was "filled with mistrust."

"LaVine and his representation at Klutch Sports feel like they were misled on possible trade destinations, and the Bulls thought LaVine 'opting' for season-ending right foot surgery when rehab on the injury was still on the table was a counterpunch thrown below the belt," Cowley wrote.

LaVine underwent season-ending surgery on his right foot in February after missing 17 games due to inflammation.

At the time, the Bulls stated that "after seeking additional medical opinions, in consultation with the Chicago Bulls training and medical staff, guard Zach LaVine and Klutch Sports Group have elected surgery on LaVine's right foot as the next step in his recovery process."

LaVine said in March that he was "pretty much trying to figure out every way not to" have surgery, but that he reached the decision based on his pain level and his doctor's recommendation, per Johnson.

He previously played through injury for the Bulls after competing for part of the 2021-22 season with a knee issue that later required surgery.

The Bulls have been rumored to be considering trades for LaVine since before the 2023-24 season.

ESPN's Bobby Marks previously reported the team has had difficulty finding a market for LaVine, who averaged 19.5 points, 5.2 rebounds and 3.9 assists in his last injury-shortened campaign and has three years and more than $136 million remaining on his contract.

There is a "growing belief" around the NBA that the Chicago Bulls could consider trading Nikola Vucevic if DeMar DeRozan leaves the team in free agency, according to HoopsHype's Michael Scotto.

The Bulls could then "lean further into a youth movement and roster retooling," Scotto wrote.

Vucevic is signed for three more seasons and will play the 2024-25 season under a cap hit of $20 million.

He averaged 18.0 points and 10.5 rebounds in 76 games last season, starting all but two while averaging over 34 minutes per night.

Chicago is now "open to sign-and-trade possibilities" to move DeRozan, per KC Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago.

The Bulls have been trending toward a younger starting roster this offseason with the signings of 21-year-old Josh Giddey and 22-year-old Patrick Williams, as well as the use of the No. 11 pick to draft 19-year-old Matas Buzelis.

Chicago has also signed 24-year-old center Jalen Smith. The former Indiana Pacers reserve apparently was set to serve as a replacement for outgoing backup center Andre Drummond as Drummond is set to join the Philadelphia 76ers.

Smith could end up playing an even more important role in Chicago if the Bulls move on from Vucevic as part of an ongoing push to get younger after missing the playoffs as one of the 10 oldest teams in the league last season.

DeMar DeRozan reportedly plans to wait out Paul George's market before deciding on his next destination.

NBA insider Marc Stein reported DeRozan wants to get a "better feel" for his suitors if the Chicago Bulls do not make a serious play to retain him. The Bulls and DeRozan reportedly have "no discernible momentum" in negotiations.

Chicago may have tipped its hand at a rebuild earlier this offseason by trading Alex Caruso for Josh Giddey. Caruso made All-Defensive teams each of the last two seasons, while Giddey is a 21-year-old still early in his career.

The Bulls are also expected to explore trading All-Star guard Zach LaVine this offseason, though his market is tepid after a down 2023-24 campaign. LaVine is under contract through at least the 2025-26 season, which could create some hesitation among interested teams.

DeRozan has been the Bulls' most consistent player over his three seasons with the franchise. He averaged 24.0 points, 4.3 rebounds and 5.3 assists per game last season while shooting 48.0 percent from the field.

If a rebuild is in the Bulls' immediate future, DeRozan almost certainly is not. He turns 35 in August and has never made it past the second round of the playoffs in his 15-year NBA career. The last time DeRozan was a free agent, he was seemingly on the precipice of taking the midlevel exception with the Los Angeles Lakers until the Lakers instead traded for Russell Westbrook.

It's possible the Lakers and DeRozan explore a union again this offseason. The Philadelphia 76ers and Orlando Magic could also be options if they fail to land George. Stein also mentions the Clippers as a suitor should George exit in free agency.

Patrick Williams has not lived up to expectations since he was the No. 4 overall pick of the 2020 NBA draft, but the Chicago Bulls have decided to keep him on the team.

Chicago, which previously exercised club options for the 2022-23 and 2023-24 seasons on his contract, agreed to a new five-year, $90 million deal with Williams, according to The Athletic and Stadium's Shams Charania.

Before the deal, Chicago's 2024-25 salary was at $219.5 million, per Spotrac. The exact year-by-year breakdown of Williams' contract is unclear, though he'll average $18 million annually on his new deal.

The Bulls did so even though Williams played just 43 games in the 2023-24 campaign. It was revealed in February he needed season-ending surgery on his foot, which was another blow for the Eastern Conference team that also lost Zach LaVine to season-ending foot surgery. Lonzo Ball also missed his second straight season with ongoing knee concerns.

Despite the injury and uncertainty about his contract status, Williams said in February he preferred to remain with the only NBA team he has ever known.

"I don't think anybody knows what their future is to be honest," he said, per K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago. "I would love to continue to be a Bull. I love it here. I love the opportunity we have to build culture, to build something special with this group and this team. I think I could really be a cornerstone piece for this team. But you never know what the future holds, and I understand it's a business."

While Williams hasn't lived up to the elevated expectations that were put in place when the Bulls used a top-five pick on him, he is still just 22 years old with the opportunity to turn things around moving forward on a new deal.

But his career has been defined by inconsistency at this point.

Williams averaged 9.7 points, 4.2 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game while shooting 46.9 percent from the field and 41 percent from deep in his first four seasons. He has never averaged better than 10.2 points a night in a single campaign and has been a secondary contributor to this point.

There have been some positives, as his ability to stretch the floor helped him take advantage of openings created by playing alongside LaVine and DeMar DeRozan. He is also versatile enough to defend multiple positions if needed, which can keep him in various lineups.

In an ideal world for Chicago, he will put all of those positives together and be one of the focal points of the team with this new deal.