Bulls' nightmare DeMar DeRozan trade somehow just got worse

The Chicago Bulls' questionable return in the DeMar DeRozan sign-and-trade was already a disappointment on paper. But now, just a year removed from the sign-and-trade, it has aged even worse than anyone could have predicted. Chris Duarte, who was the primary player the Bulls received in the deal, is now officially out of the NBA.

With that, one of the most prolific scorers in franchise history was effectively dealt for a pair of second-round picks and a short-lived flyer who never made an impact. This is the kind of outcome that reflects the deeper issues plaguing Chicago’s front office.

For years, the Bulls have been sitting in the middle of the pack in the standings, which is unquestionably the last place you want to be. The DeRozan trade was supposed to offer at least a partial reset. But instead of flipping him while his value was still somewhat high, the Bulls waited until free agency, with fewer bidders and little leverage.

DeRozan, who had averaged close to 25 points per game during his Chicago tenure and embraced a late-career leadership role, was still valuable in the right context. He was a playoff-tested scorer, and a voice of consistency in a Bulls locker room that otherwise lacked direction. Teams were calling, but the Bulls declined to move early and waited until it was too late. When they finally executed a sign-and-trade, it netted them only Duarte and two second-rounders.

Duarte is no longer in the NBA

Duarte was once a promising rookie with the Indiana Pacers, but quickly fell out of favor due to injuries and regression. The Bulls took a chance that a new environment would revive him, but he never made any real dent in the rotation. Less than a year after arriving, he is no longer on an NBA roster.

Now, the Bulls are left with two second-round picks where DeRozan’s steady scoring used to be. This failed exchange perfectly encapsulates what has been going wrong in Chicago for the last several years.

The front office has shown a consistent hesitance to pull the trigger on big moves, only to settle for lesser transactions later. Instead of being proactive, they react slowly and often get left behind. In this case, they waited too long to deal DeRozan, misjudged Duarte’s value, and once again failed to get meaningful assets back for a former franchise cornerstone.

It was a bad trade then, and it looks even worse now. Sadly, this is nothing new to Bulls fans. Unless something changes fast, this deal may not be the last one that ends this way. Chicago still has a long way to go before they're going to be viewed as a relevant franchise in this league again.