USC Basketball: Where Former Trojan DeMar DeRozan's Contract Extension Talks Stand

The one-time Cardinal and Gold star could earn a hefty new deal.

Former USC Trojans swingman DeMar DeRozan, now the starting All-Star small forward for the Chicago Bulls, has been eligible for a veteran contract extension all year.

Should he not reach an agreement with Chicago's front office brain trust, team president Arturas Karnisovas and general manager Marc Eversley, the 6'6" vet will reach unrestricted free agency this summer.

According to Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report, the two sides remain pretty far apart in terms of extension negotiations, which could prompt the Bulls to get proactive and flip DeRozan ahead of the February 8th NBA trade deadline. 

Moving the three-time All-NBA honoree now would enable Chicago to at least extract some solid value for one of their pricier players. Even in his relative dotage at 34, DeRozan remains one of the league's best clutch performers, and could be a major asset to any wannabe contender as the season hits the home stretch.

The three-time All-NBA honoree is averaging 21.9 points on a .461/.339/.844 slash line, 5.3 assists, four rebounds, and 1.1 steals a night. In his lone USC season, 2008-09, DeRozan was named the Pac-10 Tournament MVP and a Pac-10 All-Freshman Teamer. His No. 10 jersey was later retired by the Cardinal and Gold.