NEWSLETTER
The Chicago Bulls might have to turn their attention away from Zach LaVine.
With his trade market struggling to materialize, the Bulls can’t forget that they have other intriguing trade candidates on their roster. This team isn’t just one fix away from contention, so all options must be on the table come Feb. 8.
DeMar DeRozan is someone who could draw plenty of interest from playoff-caliber teams. He’s the exact kind of veteran on an expiring deal that can make a real difference come the spring. With that in mind, I went over a couple of possible landing spots for the 34-year-old forward.
New York Knicks
The Knicks have already shown they aren’t afraid to make moves this season. The organization sent two of their better young assets to the Toronto Raptors – RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley – in exchange for versatile wing OG Anunoby. The win-now move comes during a season where they sit in the thick of the Eastern Conference playoff race with a 25-17 record.
If the organization proved anything during their Round 2 appearance in last year’s postseason, it’s that they are ready to make some noise. And that’s precisely why it’s not too hard to believe that more moves could be on the horizon. The front office still has a boatload of draft picks at their disposal, as well as a couple of movable salaries. Could they use that flexibility on a savvy veteran like DeMar DeRozan?
While DeRozan may not be the most obvious Tom Thibodeau player due to his subpar defense, his long-standing durability would fit right in. In theory, his shotmaking could also provide a nice boost to an offense that currently has the 20th-ranked EFG% in the NBA.
Now, is his fit next to Jalen Brunson and Julius Randle seamless? Not particularly. But we’ve seen how DeRozan can adapt to his teammates pretty well this season. He’s taken on the role of a ball mover and willing facilitator this season, which could be an added bonus to a Knicks squad that is currently second-to-last in AST%. New York also has enough 3-point shooting on their roster to compensate for DeRozan’s reliance on the mid-range.
Let’s also not fail to consider that this was one of two teams mentioned as a preferred landing spot for DeRozan earlier this season. If the Knicks were to express any interest at all, we have reason to believe DeRozan’s camp would give the thumbs up.
Fake Trade that Won’t Happen: Quentin Grimes, Evan Fournier (expiring deal), first-round pick (2024 own or 2024 DAL pick protected 1-10?).
Los Angeles Lakers
While the Lakers and Zach LaVine have been eyeing each other from across the bar, it could be DeMar DeRozan who the Lakers buy a drink.
Most recent reports have LA no longer interested in pursuing LaVine. Most of their attention appears to be on Dejounte Murray, whom the Atlanta Hawks appear desperate to trade. But we can’t forget that DeRozan has been connected to the Lakers plenty of times in the past. Even just this season reports surfaced that LA could prefer targeting either DeRozan or Alex Caruso at the deadline in place of LaVine.
Jovan Buha of The Athletic echoed this reporting as recently as Friday, stating that the Lakers would still prefer to go this route to ensure more long-term financial flexibility. All things considered, LaVine’s catch-and-shoot ability from downtown and vertical athleticism would add a better dynamic to the Lakers’ struggling offense (22nd), but DeRozan’s off-the-dribble shot creation still can’t hurt. Los Angeles is only 22-22 on the season, looking like a team in desperate need of reinforcements if they want to make a similar playoff run to last season.
If the Lakers and Bulls have already had conversations about LaVine, it might not be too difficult to turn the subject toward the veteran forward. Accepting someone like Jalen Hood-Schifino and/or a 2029 first-round pick in a deal for LaVine doesn’t feel too appetizing, but that changes a bit when we’re talking about DeRozan and his expiring deal.
Fake Trade That Won’t Happen: Jalen Hood-Schifino, 2029 first-round pick, whatever salary filler the Lakers want
Miami Heat
DeMar DeRozan feels like he’d slide almost effortlessly into Heat culture. While he may not be the most physical player, he’s one of the most professional and reliable offensive performers in the NBA. His no-nonsense approach could make plenty of sense next to Jimmy Butler and Co., especially when we consider they sit a mere 20th in offensive rating this season.
Putting him next to Butler would give Miami one of the best crunch-time scoring duos in the league. As hot as Tyler Herro can get, DeRozan’s jumper adds a more reliable and efficient option to this rotation. Picturing him working off Bam Adebayo screens isn’t hard to do, and he’d only add to their number of players who can threaten to put teams in foul trouble.
I’d guess that Miami stays rather quiet at this year’s deadline, but if they were to get spicy, this feels like the kind of move they’d make. DeRozan likely wouldn’t cost as much as other top targets, and he makes a ton of sense for a team trying to make potentially one last push for the Finals (he’d also get to team back up with best buddy Kyle Lowry!).
Indeed, Miami also happens to be DeRozan’s second preferred landing spot. He knows the potential for a deep playoff run is high.
Fake Trade That Won’t Happen: Honestly, this one is pretty hard to figure out straight up. The Heat have a lot of top-heavy contracts. Duncan Robinson’s near $18 million could be the basis for the deal, but there aren’t many other easy pieces to reach DeRozan’s $28.6 million. A third team would likely have to get involved, so here is the wacky deal I came up with …
Bulls get: Spencer Dinwiddie, Dariq Whitehead, Nikola Jovic, protected Nets first-rounder
Nets get: Tyler Herro
Heat get: DeMar DeRozan, Torrey Craig
