Chicago Bulls: Honest grades through Day 2 of NBA free agency

The Chicago Bulls landing DeMar DeRozan was a move that came with a few layers

The deal

The Bulls dealt forwards Thaddeus Young and Al-Farouq Aminu along with a future first-round pick and two future second rounders. Chicago then signed DeMar DeRozan to a 3-year contract worth $85 million.

While many experts believe the Bulls overpaid both in trade capital and with DeRozan’s contract, this was a different type of deal for Chicago than it would have been for other teams.

For example, DeRozan was also very close to heading to the Los Angeles Clippers. The Clippers have star power with Paul George and Kawhi Leonard. It’s easy for them to attract talent like DeRozan. For the Bulls to have landed DeRozan, there is no question they’d have to overpay in every sense of the word.

So, of course including a protected first-round pick (details on protection here) seemed a bit hefty. Of course, the contract DeRozan signed seemed like quite a bit of money.

The impact

Despite the Bulls giving up what they did and paying DeRozan that type of cash, the fact of the matter is, they landed a guy who is still just 31 years old and playing excellent basketball. Last year, DeRozan averaged 21.6 points, 6.9 assists and 4.2 rebounds while shooting the ball at a 49.5 percent clip.

Many experts will point out the fact that DeRozan acted more as a point forward with the Spurs and has also handled the ball over 30 percent of the time on most of his teams throughout his career. Thinking about his fit, right now with the Bulls, is a bit tougher when you consider those facts.

But, DeRozan is still a solid jump shooter and finisher around the rim. Fitting him next to guys like LaVine and Ball isn’t for every NBA head coach, but Billy Donovan is the right man for the job. Donovan has historically been able to put players in the best possible position to succeed, and the Bulls trust him to do so with DeRozan.

The other small wrinkle that fans may not have realized is the fact that DeRozan played his college ball with Nikola Vucevic at USC. Those two reuniting and having played together in the past certainly comes into play here, as well.

The grade

Considering the Bulls did give up a first-round pick and are paying DeRozan almost $30 million annually, it’s hard to give them an A for such a deal. Let’s just say that, for now, this grade is not set in stone. It very well could be moved up much higher, but only time will tell.

Grade: C+