DeMar DeRozan Reportedly Wants To Be Traded To The Heat Or The Knicks, And It's Not As Far Fetched As You May Think
Justin Casterline. Getty Images.A few weeks ago to the surprise of nobody, word started to leak around where Zach LaVine would like to be traded to should the Bulls decide to pull the plug and smash the rebuild button.
Not a huge surprise list of teams outside of maybe SA if LaVine weirdly cares that the Bulls aren't competitive, but I can't fault the guy for having Wemby fever. When this list came out, I broke down the possibility of each destination because at the end of the day, it doesn't really matter what the player wants if the team they want doesn't have the assets to trade for them.
Well since that blog, the Bulls have gone 1-5 and were an Alex Caruso 3PM away last night from falling to 0-6. So, it's only natural that when a team continues to struggle we get more and more smoke around potential trades. The difference is this time around it's not involving LaVine (since we already had that), but instead his running mate DeMar DeRozan
Is anyone surprised by DeRozan's list? I'd say the surprising part isn't that MIA and NYK were included, but the fact that no LA team was. Seeing as how DeRozan is from Compton, went to USC, and someone like the Lakers could certainly use him, I found it interesting that they didn't seem to make his short list, especially after this came out the other day
So, just like we did with LaVine, let's take a look at DeRozan's situation and his potential to land on these two teams.
For starters, the most important part of this puzzle is of course DeRozan's contact situation
The good news is that unlike LaVine ($40M), DeRozan's salary is much easier to find a way to match seeing as how it comes in at just $28.6M. The bad news is that, unlike LaVine who has 2+1 left on his deal following this season, DeRozan has an expiring contract. That does a few things to any prospective trade. First, it sort of screws the Bulls leverage in their asking price. Considering DeRozan can leave for nothing, the longer they wait to move him the more his price goes down. What contending team that would have a need for DeRozan is going to be down to give up a ton of valuable assets at the trade deadline for a player that could walk for nothing in 3 months? Even if you want to take that risk, the team that trades for DeRozan is also going to be a team that would even be willing to sign him to a new, long term deal this summer despite him entering his age 35 season next year.
So while his salary number is in theory easier to move, his contract situation makes things a little more complicated. With that in mind, let's look at his two preferred teams
Miami Heat
I know recent history suggests that the Heat are interest kings who have been unable to land their big fish despite everyone wanting to supposedly go there, I would not put this situation in the same camp. For starters, it's MUCH easier for the Heat to find a way to make this trade work, simply from a money standpoint. Let's have a look
The thing you have to remember here is that if the Bulls are having a firesale, it's not really about the players they get back. My guess would be they want expirings/draft capital, and if they can land a good player at the same time, cool. I don't think it's crazy to think if this were to happen that the Heat would be interested in giving DeRozan a new deal, especially with Jimmy Butler not getting any younger.
From a money standpoint, there are two obvious paths. The first is Kyle Lowry and his expiring $29M. Throw in some picks and maybe a young player like Jovic who isn't even playing and call it a day. That said, Lowry is DeRozan's best friend, and since he'll need a new deal, maybe the Heat see this as an opportunity to flip Herro and his $27M. If you swap him in, you obviously don't have to give up as many picks. Considering Herro has 3 guaranteed seasons after this year on his current 4/120M deal, the Bulls get a player who they can just give 20+ shots to and not care about the results. Remember, the guard situation in CHI isn't all that great, so I could see them being interested in someone like Herro. Honestly, someone like him is probably the best player you're going to find for an expiring contract.
As of today, the Heat own the 13th ranked offense so it's not like they are desperate on that end, but giving Butler/Bam a more proven #3 option for a playoff run (and then extending him) does make some sense.
New York Knicks
One thing you have to give credit to the Knicks for is they have been very smart when it comes to star hunting recently. Patience is key when you're looking for that final piece, and unlike previous iterations of the Knicks, they seem to have their head on straight nowadays. They have contracts and assets to make a splash, but they've been pretty selective in recent seasons (which is good).
So should they cash some of those things in for DeRozan? Let's see what they have to work with
I think it's safe to assume that players like Randle/Brunson/Barrett would be off the table in anything like this, considering the whole point would be to add DeRozan to that mix. The way the Knicks get there is still pretty obvious. Once December 15th rolls around and newly signed free agents can be traded, all you have to do is package Evan Fournier and Donte DiVincenzo and boom, you're at DeRozan's salary. Throw in a first round pick or something and that's your path. You don't have to touch any of your top guys, you don't have to trade any of your frontcourt, and you bring in someone to help Jalen Brunson not have to be the sole offensive creator. But, let's say the Knicks want to hold onto DiVincenzo. OK, no problem. The salaries of Fournier/Grimes gets the Knicks close enough to where that trade still works money-wise.
Why do the Bulls do this? Well, they can just turn down Fournier's $19M club option for next year, and he immediately becomes an expiring. DiVincenzo is basically another glue type guy who isn't on a crazy salary who you could always flip later for assets as you rebuild. Grimes is a young cost controlled asset that doesn't make a lot of money, something every rebuilding team wants.
The question is more how willing the Knicks are to pay DeRozan this summer. Remember, they still need to take care of Immanuel Quickly in RFA after they failed to reach an extension this past offseason, and he's certainly not going to be cheap. Isaiah Hartenstein, who has been awesome as a Knick is also a UFA this summer as well. My thought is chances are the Knicks turn down Fournier's option anyway, so why not try and flip it for DeRozan? You're the Knicks, you can pay the tax if needed because guess what? Chances are your good team will be even better! As long as you don't overpay with draft capital, that's a fit that makes sense to me.
Between these two teams, I'd view the Knicks as a much more likely option. Between their draft assets they could throw around and the fact that they can get there without giving up too many players of substance, I just see something like that happening more likely than the Heat trading Herro or Lowry/young pieces for DeRozan. That still gives the Knicks flexibility to go big fish hunting should the opportunity arise with some of their larger salaried players, and brings in a guy in the meantime that can absolutely be an upgrade over what they'd be sending out.
Will any of this happen? Well, NBA history says unless your name is Damian Lillard, if you're a star player you end up where you want to go. Maybe DeRozan expands his list or maybe there's a mystery team out there that comes out of nowhere and trades for him, but if the Bulls decide to rebuild my money is him landing on one of those two teams.
P.S.
Meanwhile, Alex Caruso is probably the most desired name this trade season, and for good reason. If you're curious why, all you have to do is see what he did against the Bucks last night