Why Knicks Should Trade for Bulls' DeMar DeRozan

DeMar DeRozan averaged 24.5 points per game for the Chicago Bulls this past season. Can he help out the New York Knicks in a trade?

Jeremy Brener | Sep 20, 2023

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New York Knicks

The New York Knicks are seeking ways to improve their team, but it appears that the window to do that for this offseason is almost shut. With training camp just a few weeks away, the Knicks appear to be set with their current roster, but maybe there's a chance to add a star at the eleventh hour?

A list from Bleacher Report suggesting "trades that should've happened this offseason" proposes that the Knicks should trade for Chicago Bulls guard DeMar DeRozan in exchange for RJ Barrett, Quentin Grimes, and a 2024 first-round pick (top-10 protected).

Chicago Bulls guard DeMar DeRozan playing against the Detroit Pistons / Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

"DeRozan wouldn't help the Knicks' spacing issues, but he, Jalen Brunson, and Julius Randle are all accustomed to navigating through narrow lanes," Zach Buckley writes. "Plus, it's not like the Knicks are getting loads of long-distance shots out of Barrett anyway, so they might as well switch to someone who's more capable of making things happen in the mid-range, both as a scorer and shot-creator."

A trio of DeRozan, Brunson, and Randle could rival some of the best in the league and thrust the Knicks into the top tier of the Eastern Conference alongside the Boston Celtics, Milwaukee Bucks, and Miami Heat. It may not put them over the top, but there aren't many options to improve the team to another level better than DeRozan, especially at this point of the offseason.

DeRozan averaged 24.5 points per game last season for the Bulls, which would have ranked just behind Randle at 25.1 and slightly ahead of Brunson at 24 on last year's roster.

But for now, DeRozan will head to training camp with the Bulls while the Knicks stick with who they have ... for now.

Published Sep 20, 2023

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.