Bulls Hope DeMar DeRozan Will Sign Long-Term Contract, GM Marc Eversley Says

As star swingman DeMar DeRozan enters the final year of his contract with the Chicago Bulls, the team has hopes of continuing their partnership well beyond 2024.

“DeMar’s been great,” Bulls general manager Marc Eversley told The Athletic’s Darnell Mayberry. “He’s been terrific for this group, not only on the court but off the court. He’s been a leader. I would love DeMar to be part of this program long term.”

Eversley went on to add that discussions about a long-term deal with DeRozan have yet to take place, but he’s hopeful that the veteran shares the team’s interest in remaining together for the foreseeable future.

“Let’s see how that plays out and what that looks like going forward. When those conversations take place, we’ll speak about that more when that happens,” Eversley said. “But we hope Deebo’s back. He’s been an integral part of this program’s success. We hope he is here long term.”

DeRozan joined the Bulls after a sign-and-trade with the San Antonio Spurs prior to the 2021-22 season. He’s set to make $28.6 million in the final year of his current deal, per Spotrac.

The 34-year-old has been selected to the All-Star Game in each of his last two seasons in Chicago. After averaging a career-high 27.9 points in his first year with the Bulls, that figure dropped to 24.5 ppg last season. However, his efficiency remained intact as he shot 50.4 percent from the field for the second straight year.

Despite DeRozan’s strong play, the Bulls finished with a 40-42 record and were bounced from the play-in tournament. A better finish in 2023-24 likely will go a long way toward convincing DeRozan to remain with the team beyond the upcoming campaign.