DeMar DeRozan, Chicago Bulls
On paper, there’s probably a very real chance that the Chicago Bulls end up pulling the carpet on this core and begin to set the foundation for a new rebuild this season. If that does end up happening, it’s likely that one of the first dominos to fall involves trading DeMar DeRozan. He’s on an expiring contract and he loses value on the trade block with every day that passes (as an aging veteran).
If the Bulls are going to pivot toward a rebuild, they’re likely going to trade DeRozan first. And it wouldn’t be all that surprising if that ended up happening before the start of the season. As somewhat of an afterthought at this point in his career, DeRozan is still a really good player. He’s coming off a season in which he averaged 25 points, five rebounds, and five assists per game on 50 percent shooting from the field.
Heading into his age-34 season, he’d fit right into Miami’s championship window and would be an effective offensive weapon next to Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo. In fairness, there would be questions about the Heat’s spacing and whether they’d have enough shooting with that three-man lineup, however.