$80 Million Offer Could Persuade DeMar DeRozan to Ditch Lakers Dream as Bulls’ Failure Forces Desperate Measures

Artūras Karnišovas continued the Lakers‘ dilemma for the third star with his season-ending news conference focused on DeMar DeRozan. The executive VP for basketball operations of Chicago Bulls, Karnišovas, is not pleased with the Bulls’ performance this season as a team. He is going to change his fundamental principle of ‘continuity.’ The former is famous for his perseverance. However, Karnišovas is now looking for another ‘c’ called ‘change.’

At the news conference, the Bulls’ executive VP publicly declared the need for a swap. He even took full accountability for the team’s performance. He commented, “I take full responsibility, however, and recognize when changes need to be made, and I believe that time is now.” Despite this, Karnišovas is aware of the individual player who had a good influence on the new players in the team, DeMar DeRozan. Talking about DeRozan, Karnišovas shared, “He’s been invested in Chicago and has been great to our young guys. So, both sides are interested in continuing.”

DeRozan will become a free agent this summer as his $81.9 million contract for three years is in its final stage. A source confirmed that the Bulls have presented a big bankroll of $40 million per season for a two-year deal to DeMar’s representative. Considering Karnišova’s statement, DeRozan might also stay with the Bulls next season and pitch a better deal.

DeMar’s deal with the Bulls will be a disaster for the LA Lakers as the team is looking for their third superstar. LaVine is one of their options for trade, but he does not fit the Lakers’ need for size and defense.

Hooper DeMar DeRozan Vs. Bulls Defense Wall

DeRozan has averaged 24 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 5.3 assists this season. The former and Coby White make a better duo for the Bulls team. However, the defense of the team still demands growth. The team is sitting at the 20th spot, considering the defense ranking in the NBA with only 32.6 defensive rebounds. Karnišovas took serious scrutiny of the team’s performance as he stated, “Any season where we don’t end deep into the postseason requires close examination, which has already begun.”

The Bulls couldn’t make it to playoffs after a loss handed to them by the Miami Heat. Even in that game, DeMar scored 22 points. But Coby White did not do that well as he scored 13 points, unlike his 42-point streak against the Atlanta Hawks. Apart from slow defense, the biggest drawback that the team faced was injuries ahead of their last game against the Heat. Bulls players like Lonzo Ball, Onuralp Bitim, Julian Phillips, Patrick Williams, and prominent player Zach Lavine were off the roster for the Heat game.

“We have to make changes to fix things,” this statement summarizes what the fans are going to see in the Bulls upcoming summer. Till then, the trade theories are all rumors, but the DeMar one has the potential to become a reality. Comment your thoughts if DeMar will stay in the Bulls or not.