Alexander Wilson
The Knicks are going to be attached to every veteran scorer who hits the market, so the DeMar DeRozan idea was always going to find its way into the room.
Sacramento is expected to work toward a buyout if a trade does not materialize. DeRozan is due $25.7 million next season, with $10 million guaranteed, and his next landing spot could depend on whether he is willing to take a much smaller deal.
I get the appeal. The Knicks’ second unit can get dry, and DeRozan is still a professional bucket-getter. He averaged 18.4 points on 49.7 percent shooting last season, played 77 games, and did it with a smaller role than he carried in his prime.
Knicks need the role defined first
The Knicks should be careful because DeRozan is not plug-and-play for every lineup. He is most comfortable operating inside the arc, taking touches, and working at his own pace. That can help when Jalen Brunson sits. It can also gum things up if the offense becomes too half-court heavy.
His usage dipped to 22.8 percent last season, and his 13.1 shot attempts were one of the lower marks of his career. That matters because it suggests he can scale down, but the Knicks would still need him to accept bench minutes, fewer touches, and some nights where the ball simply lives elsewhere.
The defensive part is where I would push hardest. The Knicks cannot add a name because the resume looks nice and then spend April trying to hide him. If the cost is the veteran minimum, the discussion is fair. If it becomes a promise-heavy chase, I am out.
DeRozan would test the Knicks’ discipline
There is a version of this that works. DeRozan comes in cheap, helps the bench scoring, handles a few ugly possessions, and does not ask to be more than that.
There is also a version where the Knicks add a famous name and create a rotation issue they did not need. The front office has done too much careful work around Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns, and Mikal Bridges to get sloppy now. DeRozan is worth a call, but only on the Knicks’ terms.
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