Bulls' DeMar DeRozan says he's not distracted by expiring contract

DeMar DeRozansays he appreciates the continuity of the Chicago Bulls' roster entering the season and believes his next contract will take care of itself.

"That continuity goes so far," DeRozan said Monday. "Sometimes you've got to hit the wall hard to help each other get back up. ... That's one thing that always put me in position to have successful teams -- continuity."

DeRozan said "the third time is the charm" when asked whether pairing with Zach LaVine can be different in their third season together in Chicago.

The Bulls lost a play-in game to the eventual Eastern Conference champion Miami Heat after eliminating Toronto in April. They last won a playoff series in 2015.

DeRozan, 34, is a six-time All-Star with an expiring deal he signed to join the Bulls in 2021. DeRozan and the Bulls have communicated about stretching his current contract beyond this season, his 14th. But DeRozan said he's staying out of it and relying on his agent, Aaron Goodwin, to handle his business.

"I have an agent. He deals with it and I tell him to leave me the hell alone so I can focus on my five kids," DeRozan said. "I'm not kidding you. I try not to focus on that and let him handle what he needs to handle."

DeRozan said he isn't itching to set any landmarks or personal bests with his next contract. He said most of what he needs and expects out of a contract is similar or the same as it was when he was acquired in a sign-and-trade with the San Antonio Spurs in 2021.

"All of it stays the same, but the goal at the end of the day is wanting to win. The way I look at it, I look at it from both sides," DeRozan said. "It's just got to make sense. For me, it's all about understanding what we can do to win. How we can win. Obviously, this is a place I want to be. You can take that out of the equation."

Reuters contributed to this story.