Disgruntled Bulls star demands $25M; Kings closely monitoring situation

The Chicago Bulls are looking to capitalize on the imminent departure of a player they very recently sought to re-sign.

Chicago has a habit of holding onto assets for too long. Much has been written about Zach LaVine's year-long overstay in a Bulls uniform, a result of Chicago's inability to deal LaVine before his value plummeted. Now, LaVine's suitors are nil and the Bulls' relationship with their highest-paid player is as thorny as ever.

Alex Caruso's tenure in Chicago is another example of asset hoarding. The Bulls were offered deals for Caruso before last season's trade deadline that would have landed Chicago multiple first-round picks. The Bulls gripped tightly to Caruso, only to send him away months later in a trade that netted Chicago zero draft capital.

It's even been suggested that the Bulls mismanaged the market for Andre Drummond, who left Chicago in free agency this summer to join the Philadelphia 76ers. The Bulls reportedly received trade offers for Drummond from Philadelphia before the February deadline.

Is DeMar DeRozan the next player in line to exit Chicago and leave the Bulls empty-handed?

It appeared last week that DeRozan -- who has decided he will not re-sign with the Bulls -- was going to join another team like the Los Angeles Clippers or Los Angeles Lakers and leave Chicago once again dismayed over watching an asset walk away without providing any return value.

With DeRozan's market shrinking, however, the Bulls are now discovering sign-and-trade opportunities for DeRozan that could garner them a return for the 34-year-old free agent.

ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski appeared on SportsCenter on Thursday to discuss DeRozan's current status, linking him to the Sacramento Kings.

"He's trying to get a deal at a number that he wants ... $25M a year," Wojnarowski said. "Sacramento is a team certainly with interest. ... The Bulls are willing to work with a team on a sign-and-trade, but the Bulls do not necessarily want to take contracts back. They'd have to find a third team to take on the money to make it work with a team like the Kings."

Chicago will be on the hunt for three-team trades in the coming days. One savvy proposal has already arisen involving the Kings and Utah Jazz.

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