USC Basketball: Could All-Star Trojan Join A Title Contender in Free Agency This Week?

Former Pac-10 All-Freshman Team USC Trojans swingman DeMar DeRozan has yet to reach an extension agreement with the team he’s called home for the past three seasons, the Chicago Bulls. With free agency poised to tip off Sunday night at 3 p.m. PT/6 p.m. ET and the Bulls already seeming to be leaning into a tank job, it seems quite possible DeRozan could look to earn his next (and possibly last) major contract elsewhere.

The six-time All-Star’s hometown L.A. Clippers may look to sign him if All-NBA forward Paul George, who has declined his player option, ultimately decides to depart in free agency, reports K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago and Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. According to Marc Stein on a recent Substack piece, DeRozan could also be seen as a signing target for the Philadelphia 76ers, who can easily carve out maximal cap space this offseason.

Johnson noted earlier this offseason that talks between DeRozan and Chicago have apparently been pretty icy. Chicago offloaded its best defender and two-way player, two-time All-Defensive guard Alex Caruso, in exchange for oversized point guard Josh Giddey, whose poor shooting and lackluster defense limited him to playing just 12.6 minutes a night during the team’s six-game second round series against the Dallas Mavericks in the 2024 playoffs. Subtracting a proven pro in Caruso in exchange for a high-upside, fairly raw recent lottery pick in Giddey is a clear sign that Chicago is pivoting towards a rebuild. Should DeRozan want to actually return to the playoffs (in which he hasn’t appeared for the last two years, despite playing in the Eastern Conference), it would behoove the 6-foot-6 vet to play elsewhere.

The 34-year-old remains a shockingly durable and consistent scorer. Last season, he finished second in Clutch Player of the Year voting, while notching 24 points on a .480/.333/.853 slash line, 5.3 assists, 4.3 rebounds and 1.1 steals a night, across 79 contests. DeRozan is a terrific midrange shooter and is great at drawing contact and getting to the foul line during the regular season (although his charity stripe looks are reduced in the playoffs as refs hold their whistles), but his minimal and inconsistent three point shooting are a bit of a weakness in today’s game. He’s also never been a strong defender, making him something of a unique fit in the modern game.

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