CLEVELAND — At some point, it becomes numbing.
The rumors, the speculation, the anxiety, everything. Forward DeMar DeRozan learned to steer clear of that stuff early in his career.
So while the trade restrictions on the rest of the NBA players who signed contracts last offseason were lifted Monday — basically allowing trade talks to get serious leading up to the Feb. 8 deadline — DeRozan wasn’t blinking an eye.
“I don’t sit up here refreshing my apps in the morning to see what’s what, rumors or anything,” DeRozan said. “Should we, shouldn’t we . . . it’s a tough question for me because being in the league so long, I can really be at a point where that [expletive] doesn’t bother me.”
That was especially the case on a game day in which DeRozan was looking to exact some revenge on the Cavaliers, who already had beaten the Bulls this season.
But that revenge will have to wait.
Just like last season, the Cavaliers seem to have the Bulls’ number. They jumped on them in the first quarter, then held them off late for a 109-91 victory.
It was the Cavs’ sixth straight win over the Bulls (19-23), who didn’t give themselves much of a chance right from the tip.
Donovan Mitchell made a three-pointer within the first minute, setting a tone that was hard for the Bulls to slow down. A dunk by Jarrett Allen, then another three-pointer by Mitchell made it 8-0 early on. And it would get much worse. The Cavaliers (23-15) scored 40 points in the first quarter, going 8-for-14 from three-point range, while the Bulls again struggled from long range, going 3-for-13.
The Cavs outrebounded the Bulls 14-6 in the quarter and beat them on second-chance points 9-0 and fast-break scoring 9-2. Cleveland was dominating in almost every facet.
“They just outworked us, to be honest with you,” coach Billy Donovan said. “Came up with loose balls, did a lot of those things, and we just dug ourselves a hole.”
The Bulls fought their way back and took a one-point lead on two free throws by Coby White, but a three-pointer by Caris LeVert sparked a 10-0 run that the Bulls couldn’t overcome.
It was simply another game that served to remind the front office that this roster was built for mediocrity.
Now, with trade season officially heating up, what can the organization do about it?
The most sought-after commodity on the Bulls’ roster is still Alex Caruso. The Sun-Times has reported throughout the season that Caruso was deemed almost untouchable, and a source indicated that hasn’t changed.
The one piece the Bulls would help pack as well as drive to the airport would be Zach LaVine, but with 10 games left before the deadline, there was still no market for his services because of the max contract he carries, including a player option of $49 million for the 2026-27 season.
Then there’s DeRozan — interesting at 34 and with an expiring contract after the season.
“My focus is making sure we’re trending in the right direction, no matter what happens,” DeRozan said.
“Everybody has a job and whenever someone is called to make a decision for that job, no matter what it is, that’s what it’s gotta be. For me, I just have learned not to carry that emotion with me because it will drive you crazy, constantly worrying about what somebody else is going to do, blah, blah, blah. I really don’t worry about it. I can’t.”
