The NBA’s unofficial trade season is just a week away, and recent rumors linked the Knicks to the Bulls’ DeMar DeRozan, a six-time All-Star facing unrestricted free agency following three middling years helping lead Chicago’s core.
At 7-14, the Bulls could blow things up imminently, seeking a return on their investment instead of watching him walk this summer.
DeRozan’s having a down year, but isn’t far removed from a career year in 2021-22 in which he averaged 27.9 points, 5.2 rebounds and 4.9 assists on 50.4% shooting. If he weren’t in this apathetic situation, he’d likely be producing at an All-Star level and is still widely considered a top-50 talent and one of the best midrange artists in the game.
On the other hand, he excels best with the ball in his hands (sound familiar?) and only underscores New York’s spacing issues. So should the Knicks pursue a deal for DeRozan?
The case for trading for DeRozan
Some fundamental truths about this Knicks team: it isn’t competing for a championship with its current roster, and MVP-caliber trade targets are both extremely rare and difficult to acquire. That leaves New York grabbing out of the All-Star bucket, a collection of high-level but flawed talents that could theoretically take it over the top.
Is DeRozan that guy? He’s a tougher on-paper case to make than a Donovan Mitchell or an OG Anunoby. But due to his impending contract expiration, he should be easier to trade for and a risk-free gamble in the long term.
If the move stinks and all you gave up was Quentin Grimes, Evan Fournier and a late 2024 first-round pick, you can move off DeRozan this summer and still have the assets left over to pursue a better fit. So the worst-case scenario leaves you down but not out, and the upside is certainly there.
DeRozan is a certified top-tier scorer; currently putting up 21.9 points, 3.5 rebounds and 4.8 assists on 45.3% shooting. When he’s locked in, he’s much more efficient, a 2-point-range savant that can wear defenders down in isolations and pick-and-rolls.
He’s devastatingly clutch, shrewd at drawing whistles and can contribute enough outside of his scoring when called upon. His passing is also vastly underrated due to his current offensive system dampening its impact, as he averaged over seven assists per 36 minutes in 2020-21, his last season in San Antonio.
The fit isn’t the cleanest, for reasons we’ll get into, but his inclusion does accomplish some things for the Knicks. First, it gives them another consistently-dependable ball handler and shot creator.
There would have to be a concerted effort to get DeRozan and Jalen Brunson the ball while RJ Barrett and Julius Randle commit more to their off-ball games. This would keep the offense flowing through its most efficient hands -- DeRozan is a low turnover guy -- while maximizing the strengths of the two less-accurate Knicks stars.
This Knicks team is built to stiffen up offensively come the playoffs, and DeRozan can help break through that by providing another All-Star-level scorer. The spacing concern is real, but he’s quietly hit 37.3% of his 3s this year on 2.6 attempts a night, unlikely to stick but who knows?
