While the last two seasons It didn’t quite go according to plan to Chicago Bulls, there are still some pluses. Notably, the Bulls snapped a four-year drought, clinching the sixth seed in the 2022 NBA Playoffs. They also found a steal draft in Ayo Dosonmu. But best of all, they helped DeMar DeRozan He fully revived his NBA career.
when DeRozan He signed with the Bulls in the 2021 NBA offseason, and has been out for three years with the San Antonio Spurs. And while he was productive, he seemed to step back from his seasons with the Toronto Raptors. Now, he’s made two All-Star teams in a row and has added another All-NBA appearance to his resume. But this move almost never happened.
During his recent appearance on P Podcast with Paul GeorgeDeRozan revealed that he was about to join the LA Clippers that summer. George tried to recruit him, but in the end, DeRozan made his way to Chicago instead.
Chicago Bulls news: DeMar DeRozan was interested in joining the LA Clippers
DeRozan relayed the following message regarding his potential interest in joining the Clippers.
“I didn’t even talk about that story. The first time I saw him after that, he was like, ‘Oh man, oh bad,’” DeRozan said. “And I never took it in any disrespectful way because in that moment, I was like, ‘Oh man, Hell yeah. Let’s find out.”
Chicago Bulls news: Why DeMar DeRozan Didn’t Join the LA Clippers
DeRozan did not sign with the Clippers because they did not have enough money to sign him to a respectable contract. That’s why George apologized to DeRozan when they saw each other the next season.
When George was trying to recruit DeRozan, he didn’t realize that the now Bulls star had to take a pay cut to join the Clippers.
Chicago Bulls news: Paul George tried to recruit DeMar DeRozan
When discussing his attempts to recruit DeRozan, George explains that he was unaware of the salary Los Angeles would have paid him.
“I remember trying so hard [expletive] to recruit you. After it was finished, I felt like a sucker. George said. “In Chicago, I came to you, and I was like, ‘Brother, that was some [expletive]I didn’t know what we had to offer, it was just, ‘Yo, we have an interest in getting DeMar here. [I was like], “Let’s go get that.” When you’ve already done the numbers for what we could have offered, you obviously deserve so much more. i just felt,[Expletive]I really tried to get my girlfriend to come down here. “
Chicago Bulls news: DeMar DeRozan wanted to play with Paul George in his hometown
While the money didn’t work out, DeRozan admitted that he would have loved to play with George. Besides, it was fun to play in his home state, as DeRozan is from Compton, California.
“The business side of it was flawed in itself, but just looking at it like, ‘Man [expletive], I can do that. Play with my dog. house. Let’s try to figure it out,” DeRozan said.
In the end, things worked out in the Bulls’ favor, as DeRozan accepted Chicago’s offer instead, and it paid off for both parties involved.