DeMar DeRozan Makes History As Chicago Bulls Nab Win, Tristan Thompson Heading Into All-Star Break

Wednesday proved to be an eventful day for the Chicago Bulls.

The Bulls got good news on the Zach LaVine and Alex Caruso injury front before their game against the Sacramento Kings, their last one before the All-Star break. DeMar DeRozan then made history in a 125-118 victory over the Kings, scoring 38 points on 16-of-27 shooting to become the first player in NBA history to record seven straight games with at least 35 points on 50% shooting or better. DeRozan broke Wilt Chamberlain’s old record of six such games.

A red-hot Coby White poured in 33 points as Chicago’s starters scored 117 of the 125 points. The win was the Bulls’ fifth straight to get them to 38-21 on the season, which has them alone in first in the Eastern Conference for the time being. The Miami Heat have the opportunity to also get to 38-21 when they play the Charlotte Hornets on Thursday.

The big night was capped off with Indiana Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle breaking the news that Tristan Thompson will be heading to Chicago after getting waived. Carlisle revealed the news in hilarious fashion:

After not making any moves ahead of the trade deadline, the Bulls were expected to be players on the buyout market. They were immediately rumored to be in on Goran Dragic after the Toronto Raptors traded the veteran guard to the San Antonio Spurs, who subsequently waived him. Dragic hasn’t made a decision on his next team yet, but Chicago has now struck already by getting Thompson.

The 30-year-old big man started the season with the Kings and appeared in 30 games, averaging 6.2 points and 5.4 rebounds in 15.2 minutes per game. Thompson was included in the blockbuster trade that featured Tyrese Haliburton and Domantas Sabonis, but given where the Pacers are in the standings, it was fully expected that he would be bought out.

The Bulls need help in the frontcourt, so taking a chance on Thompson makes sense. While Nikola Vucevic has rounded into form over the last month, Tony Bradley has been a disappointment as the backup center, Tyler Cook is a two-way player and rookie Marko Simonovic isn’t ready to play. Elsewhere on the roster, Patrick Williams is still recovering from wrist surgery and Derrick Jones Jr. is now fighting through a finger injury after coming back well ahead of schedule.

Thompson isn’t the player he once was with the Cleveland Cavaliers, but the bar is so low for competent frontcourt play it shouldn’t be too hard for him to clear it. He has always been a strong rebounder, so he could help the team if he does that and brings consistent energy to the table with his championship pedigree. Expectations shouldn’t be high, but, again, the bar is low for him to help this team and there’s not much risk involved.

The Bulls will need to waive a player to sign Thompson. The current expectation is that it will be Alfonzo McKinnie, though Matt Thomas is another candidate to get the boot. Chicago could also still go after Dragic or another player as the franchise waits for key players to get healthy.

On that note, LaVine’s visit to a Los Angeles specialist brought good news on his lingering knee injury. There’s nothing structurally wrong and no surgery is needed, so the expectation is the Bulls star will be ready to roll after the All-Star break:

Caruso is expected to be cleared to resume dribbling and shooting in a week to ten days after he broke his wrist thanks to Grayson Allen’s infamously dirty play.

So, the vibes are much better for the Bulls again after some recent rough patches. The schedule will get much more difficult after the break, but Chicago is getting healthier and getting help. It’s going to be a mad dash to the finish line in the crowded East, with the Bulls right there in the thick of things.