This offseason, the Chicago Bulls and Sacramento Kings have been aggressively discussing trades. The Bulls are making every effort to resume their competitive journey after missing the playoffs the previous two years. Although the Kings are already close, their failure to make the playoffs the previous season demonstrated that they still have a lot of opportunity to improve.

This summer, both teams have already completed moves that were rather significant. The ninth pick in 2021, Davion Mitchell, was traded by the Kings to the Toronto Raptors. The Bulls traded Josh Giddey, who might still be an All-Star, for fan favorite Alex Caruso.

But there’s still work for every team to do. Zach LaVine is a two-time All-Star, and the Bulls have been aggressively attempting to move him too. This is partly because LaVine was only able to play in 25 games the previous season. Not helping matters is his fat contract; LaVine is about to go on the third season of a $215 million, five-year deal.

Sacramento Kings are interested in trading DeMar DeRozan to the Chicago Bulls.

The Bulls must also manage the contract problem pertaining to DeMar DeRozan. As things stand, it appears unlikely that the six-time All-Star will play a fourth season in Chicago. It’s time for him to get a ring—he’s 34.

Even though DeRozan is a free agent and a three-time All-NBA swingman, the Kings might not have the salary flexibility to give him the amount he deserves. However, the two teams are deep in negotiations to transfer DeRozan to Sacramento via sign-and-trade, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

Woj said that the move might occur in the next 24 to 48 hours. The fact that the Bulls want to have a clean cap sheet and do not want to take back contracts that are excessive may be making things more difficult. The two sides are now searching for a third team that is prepared to pay some salaries; this team may be any team that feels it is still a season or two away from becoming competitive.

At this point, DeRozan is what he is: a capable scorer who likes to operate in the mid-range. Nevertheless, in his three seasons with the Bulls, he averaged 25.5 points per game and developed into a very effective player around the perimeter.

For the Compton native, the opportunity to play in his home state for the first time in his NBA career could be more alluring than anything else. He’d be a welcome addition to many locker rooms. The Kings acquire a top player who is committed to taking home the championship. We’ll watch to see whether a deal is finalized shortly.

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