In a recent interview, retired NBA All-Star Luol Deng shared his thoughts on a trade that saw him leave Chicago Bulls after 10 years back in 2014. Speaking with Carol Tshabalala, Deng admitted that he “felt betrayed” by the Bulls’ actions.
Deng was in the last year of his contract during the 2013/14 season, and he and Bulls couldn’t agree to an extension. In order to avoid losing him for free, Chicago ended up trading him to Cleveland Cavaliers in exchange for Andrew Bynum and the package of draft picks.
“When I got traded, I remember I felt betrayed, said Deng. “Because the guy who traded me obviously ruined the team – and I don’t mind saying that now, I would never speak about him as a person – but just the decisions that he’s made. Because it changed the whole course of what we were trying to do.”
Bulls’ entered that season with title aspirations, but All-Star guard Derrick Rose ended up tearing his meniscus and was ruled out for the season. According to Deng, the players hoped to make another run next season, but Chicago’s front office took a different route.
“When Derrick got hurt, we really felt that we were going to win a championship, but when he broke up the team, you just feel hurt because we became so close as a team,” he added. “But we had a mission. And that was to wait for Derrick to get healthy and go at it again, but he decided to just break up the team.”
Deng also explained that his departure had a lot to do with the fact that Chicago asked him to take a pay cut in order to stay with the team. He was unwilling to do so, as he took less money on his previous contracts.
Luol Deng spent nine and a half seasons with Chicago Bulls and had two All-Star appearances and NBA All-Defensive Second Team selection during his time there. He left the franchise as their fourth-leading scorer and top five in steals and minutes played.
Deng later also played with Miami Heat, Los Angeles Lakers, and Minnesota Timberwolves. His NBA career averages include 14.8 points, 6.1 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 1.0 steals per game.
