Chicago Bulls Will Trade DeMar DeRozan Because Of Zach LaVine, Says Anonymous NBA GM

Go back to this time last year and the Chicago Bulls seemed like they were at the top of the world. A win over the Portland Trail Blazers on the 31st of January had seen them improve to 31-18, which was the best record in the Eastern Conference. Fast forward to the present, and a lot has changed.

Heading into their matchup with the Los Angeles Clippers, the Bulls find themselves down at 10th in the east with a 23-26 record. They have had multiple team meetings and whatnot to get back on track but nothing has worked so far. There has been a lot of talk about the team potentially making some changes and an anonymous NBA GM told Heavy's Sean Deveney that the Bulls will trade DeMar DeRozan, because of Zach LaVine.

via Heavy:

“They get along fine, but it is no secret that LaVine wants to be the alpha there, so if they extend DeRozan, what happens with Zach? If they don’t trade DeRozan and they don’t give him an extension, they could lose him with no return.”

“[DeRozan] will be 34 at the start of next year. The Bulls will not want to give him four years under any circumstances, and that’s probably where things will end. It is probably going to wind up with them trading him away and bringing back a couple of role players who they feel can help out LaVine.”

DeRozan is under contract till 2024 and considering his age, the Bulls definitely wouldn't be interested in giving him a long-term extension. It is unlikely he gets traded soon, however, with a Bulls insider stating they won't be trading him, LaVine, or Nikola Vucevic before the deadline. If the season does end in disappointment though, you can definitely see them trading DeRozan, especially if LaVine wants to take over as the main man on the team.

The Los Angeles Lakers View Zach LaVine As A Trade Target

Keeping LaVine happy in Chicago might be in the best interests of the Bulls, as there are teams who would be interested in trading for him. LaVine is being represented by Klutch Sports, which means it was inevitable that there'd be reports linking him with LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers.

Zach Lowe said the Lakers consider LaVine to be a potential trade target and if he ends up being unhappy, he could look to force a move to L.A. Whatever the case, it does seem like there will be quite a few changes to this roster when the 2023-24 season comes around.