Why Knicks Should Trade for Bulls' DeMar DeRozan
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.
