NBA Trades: Spurs solve playmaking woes in potential trade for Bulls star
By Cal Durrett
With rumors swirling that the Chicago Bulls may soon have a fire sale, teams appear to be lining up to take advantage. One of those teams could be the San Antonio Spurs, who have been among the worst teams in the NBA, even with number-one pick Victor Wembanyama playing well.
The Spurs are in desperate need of more playmaking and may scour the trade market for help in that area. Moreover, the Bulls have a star player who could fit the bill, and he should be very familiar to the Spurs. But would the Spurs make a big in-season trade, and would the Bulls agree to a potential deal? Let’s take a look at a potential trade.
NBA Trades: Spurs solve playmaking woes in proposed trade for DeMar DeRozan.
In the hypothetical trade, the Spurs would trade Doug McDermott, Devonte Graham, and two future first-round picks to the Bulls for DeMar DeRozan. The trade is definitely interesting for both the Spurs and Bulls and also potentially beneficial for both teams.
For the Spurs, reacquiring DeRozan, who previously played in San Antonio for three seasons, would be ironic, to say the least. DeRozan enjoyed playing for coach Gregg Popovich but less so in a small market.
"“I told myself my whole time in San Antonio, ‘whenever I get my next opportunity, I’m gonna make it make sense,” DeRozan said on the Draymond Green Show."
However, that was without a potential international superstar in Victor Wembanyama, bringing increased attention to the Spurs. DeRozan’s talent is evident, though his fit is always a question mark, including in San Antonio, where it was poor during his first tenure with the team. The Spurs struggled to space their floor around DeRozan, and they also often struggled to defend too.
There would still be those concerns a second time around, but less so. Unlike before, the Spurs have two big men in Wembanyama and Zach Collins who can space the floor, and they have Wembanyama, Devin Vassell, and Jeremy Sochan who can help cover for DeRozan on defense.
Of course, they would need to send someone to the bench to accommodate DeRozan, and while Collins would be the obvious choice, Popovich seems committed to having Wembanyama play power forward full-time. In which case, Sochan would be the most likely option in that scenario, given spacing concerns.
A starting lineup of DeRozan, Vassell, Johnson, Wembanyama, and Collins might not be a perfect fit, but DeRozan, who gives the Spurs a scorer, can help boost their 29th-ranked offense. Additionally, DeRozan is known as a terrific pick-and-roll playmaker, giving Wembanyama someone who can consistently get him the ball.
As for the Bulls, they are unlikely to retain DeRozan after this season after failing to agree to a contract extension. That increases the likelihood that he will be dealt before the trade deadline and they’re likely hoping to receive at least a first-round pick in return for one of the best players. This proposed deal would give them a first-round pick—their own—which they traded in the initial deal to acquire DeRozan from the Spurs.
That selection, which is top-10 protected in 2025 and top-8 protected in 2026 and 2027, would make it hard for them to rebuild. Though, if they moved their best players, that pick would lose value to the Spurs. Receiving their own future first would be worth it since it would allow them to rebuild without risk of losing a lottery pick down the road. The Bulls would also be receiving McDermott and Graham; both of them could later be moved in deals to contenders in need of shooting.
Ultimately, the proposed deal might be something the Bulls would agree to. Though the Spurs may seek playmaking help elsewhere rather than reuniting with DeRozan, instead, they might be interested in another one of the Bulls available stars.
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