Bulls' DeRozan thought about playing for Lakers, Clippers originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago
In August the Chicago Bulls acquired small forward DeMar DeRozan (three years, $85 million guaranteed) from the San Antonio Spurs in exchange for Thad Young.
It was the biggest acquisition the Bulls' front office made prior to the 2021-2022 season, addressing the team's need for additional halfcourt playmakers.
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But DeRozan admitted to Draymond Green in a Bleacher Report interview Monday that the Bulls weren't the only team he was thinking of joining.
The Los Angeles native was strongly considering coming back home to play for an LA team like the Lakers or the Clippers to be closer to his mother after his father passed away in February this year.
"It was a real possibility," DeRozan said. "I'd be lying to you if I said that I didn't want to come home. I did try to make it happen. Just things didn't work out."
DeRozan said that the Bulls were always in his top 5 of teams he wanted to play for, especially after the Bulls' front office added Lonzo Ball — the No. 2 selection of the Los Angeles Lakers in 2017 — and Nikola Vučević to the roster. DeRozan was also impressed with Zach LaVine, whose improved gameplay went on to win him a gold medal with Team USA in the 2020 Olympics.
"...We just build off that to where it's like, all right, this thing would really be a possibility," DeRozan said. "Then on the back end of it, it's a hell of a city, hell of a city. Hell of an organization to where like, you get this thing winning here, it's — come on."
DeRozan was left speechless after thinking about the endless possibilities his newly-built team can do on the court this season. During preseason, DeRozan scored 67 points in four games.
The Bulls regular season opens up on Wednesday against the Detroit Pistons at Little Caesars Arena.
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