DeMar DeRozan: Bulls 'Where I Want to Be' amid 2024 NBA Free Agency Rumors

DeMar DeRozan made no secret about his desire to remain with the Chicago Bulls as he potentially enters unrestricted free agency this summer.

"This is where I want to be," he told K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports on Thursday.

"I love ownership. I love everything about the city and the franchise, top to bottom---the front office, the staff we have," he added. "It's one of those places that gives me motivation to see everybody get what they deserve and feel what winning is like again."

The Bulls, now just 37-42, are headed for the Play-In Tournament and likely will host the Atlanta Hawks in the opening game to secure a playoff berth.

But when the trio of DeRozan, Zach LaVine and Nikola Vučević were brought together in the 2021-22 season, big things were expected. And while the trio reached the postseason that first year together, the team has since posted two straight losing seasons and two straight Play-In Tournament berths.

In the process, LaVine desired a deal and the Bulls were taking offers, though nothing came to fruition before he was lost for the season in February after having surgery on his right foot.

Injuries have been a major theme for this year's Bulls. Lonzo Ball hasn't played since Jan. 2022 due to a left knee injury that has required multiple surgeries. Patrick Williams was lost for the season in February after needing surgery on a left foot injury.

That has left DeRozan to pick up the slack. Since the All-Star break, he's averaging 26.1 points and 5.5 assists per game. The Bulls are still being outscored by 1.3 points per 100 possessions per game while he's on the court, per NBA.com, which isn't the biggest surprise for a team with a losing record.

When he sits, however, the team is worse, with a net rating of minus-3.3.

"The last couple years have been tough with injuries and so many ups and downs," DeRozan acknowledged. "But I always want to weather the storm and stick through whatever situation it is to make the most out of it, to make it even better," DeRozan said. "That's always been my mindset and it's my mindset going forward. How can I be here and make this a winning organization like when I first came?"

With LaVine likely to be traded—at least if a team is willing to take on the remainder of his massive contract—and DeRozan set to hit free agency, the Bulls could have a much different look next season.

But he certainly sounds like a player who wants to stay.

"I made it clear this is where I want to be and ride it out," he said. "I don't want to go nowhere. They know it. Everybody knows my stance. I lay it down from this perspective: I want to come back. Everybody else figure out what you need to figure out."