USC Basketball: All-Star Trojans Alum Talking Contract Extension With Current Club

He's hoping to stay with this non-contender long-term for some reason.

As the 2023-2024 NBA is bound to get underway in a couple of weeks, many players are being asked about their contract situations heading into the new year. 

Whether or not a player signed a new contract or was not offered one, reporters are always asking about money. 

For one USC alum and Chicago Bulls player, he spoke about his inability to find a new contract over the offseason and his desire to stay in Chicago. 

DeMar DeRozan is going into this third season with the Bulls. After making the playoffs in 2022 and losing quickly in the first round, the team had a regression in 2023, missing the playoffs. 

Now that the Bulls are in their third season with a team centered around, DeRozan, ESPN is saying that this is a prove-it year for the team.

DeRozan is entering the final year of his three-year, $28.6 million deal. The team had started preliminary discussions with DeRozan about a possible long-term extension. 

Even though the Bulls have expressed a desire to keep DeRozan, trade rumors continue to surround his name. The former Trojan has experience with being traded but wants to bring a championship to Chicago.  

"I told a couple guys last year, 'I want to see you win. I want y'all to witness what it feels like to win and what comes with winning and being appreciated and called a winner,'" DeRozan said. "That's just my optimistic mindset when it comes to this. I put my all into it.

While the future is unknown for DeRozan, the goal will stay the same for him whether or not he's in Chicago.