Eliminated at the gates of the playoffs, during the play-in, the Bulls are preparing for a potentially pivotal summer as, not counting the seriously injured Lonzo Ball, only DeMar DeRozan, Zach LaVine, Alex Caruso, Patrick Williams, Andre Drummond and Dalen Terry are under contract with the Illinois franchise next season .
If Nikola Vucevic will give priority to Chicago or that Coby White has made his intentions clear, Derrick Jones Jr. meanwhile said he doesn’t see himself leaving the team he joined in the summer of 2021, in a trade also involving Lauri Markkanen and Larry Nance Jr.
” Like I told the coach and everyone else, I’m here for two years, I didn’t sign two years for no reason, so I’m here for two years », he reminds Thus. ” I just have to sit down with my agent, talk to him and see some things, but I don’t see why that would evolve. I don’t have any other plan in mind yet. »
Contractually speaking, we remember that Derrick Jones Jr. extended for two years in the summer of 2022, but his second year is not guaranteed, since it is a “player option” of 3.4 million dollars , which he can choose to activate, or not.
A defensive stopper profile
According to the 26-year-old winger (5.0 points and 2.4 rebounds on average this season), it is therefore on the way, because he feels very good at the Bulls, despite a personal situation which is not always optimal (14 minutes of play on average).
” I know that my role is not always the one I would like. I’ve had injuries that have slowed me down a bit, but I think a [Derrick Jones Jr.] is very special. I have the feeling of having played well when I was given the opportunity, I did everything possible in the role entrusted to me. Sometimes I need to be a bit more aggressive in attack, but in defense I do my job “Judges the former player of Phoenix, Miami then Portland.
If he knows that his progress will necessarily go through a better percentage of 3-point success (30% in career), especially in corners, “ where the money is According to him, the very athletic and versatile Derrick Jones Jr. is also aware of the fact that it is in defense that he can have a role to play in this league. In Chicago, or elsewhere…
” I love defending, it’s something I learned in my career: defense wins titles “, he explains about it. ” I want to make an All-Defensive Team one day, I feel like I can do it, but I just need the opportunity and the right amount of minutes. »
How to read the stats? MJ = matches played; Min = Minutes; Shots = Shots made / Shots attempted; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; Off = offensive rebound; Def= defensive rebound; Tot = Total bounces; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost bullets; Ct: Counters; Points = Points.
