As the 2023-24 season heads into December, some fans may be looking toward the trade deadline season, where contenders look to bolster their ranks for a playoff run while pretenders deal players to give themselves a brighter future.
The Knicks over the last few seasons have been on the contender end of this spectrum and have been involved in talks for players like OG Anunoby, Pascal Siakam, Zach LaVine, among others. However, a new report puts the Knicks as a “preferred” destination for one possible trade piece.
According to The Athletic’s Sam Amick, the Chicago Bulls’ DeMar DeRozan prefers to win up with the Knicks or the Miami Heat if he were to be traded.
Before fans groan at the possibility of the Bulls dangling players at the deadline before standing pat, DeRozan is very likely to be moved for a couple of reasons. First, the 34-year-old is still a productive player, averaging 21.3 points, 4.6 assists and 3.2 rebounds in 18 games this season. Secondly, and probably most important, he’s on an expiring deal.
If the Bulls (6-14) want to get something back for DeRozan for the remainder of this season, before he leaves for free agency in the summer, they should deal him. DeRozan is set to make $28.6 million this season.
However, the Lakers are also interested in bringing DeRozan to Los Angeles, even more so than LaVine. LeBron James tried to court DeRozan a few years ago and the future Hall-of-Famer will likely push management to make a move at the deadline.
The key dates for fans to look for are Dec. 15, when contracts that were signed in the offseason become tradeable, and Feb. 8 which is the trade deadline.
Until then, be prepared for plenty of rumors and reports surrounding this Knicks team who will look to get further in the postseason than they did last season.