Chris
After the Heat went hard at pursuing Damian Lillard in the offseason, they essentially stood pat, making no major moves
After the Heat went hard at pursuing Damian Lillard in the offseason, they essentially stood pat, making no major moves aside from adding depth pieces. While they’re still a middle-of-the-pack offense, DeRozan would give the Heat a much-needed additional creator alongside Jimmy Butler while Tyler Herro is out.
The Knicks have been linked to plenty of star players, including Donovan Mitchell, but haven’t pulled the trigger on any deals. While DeRozan is on an expiring contract, he fits Knicks general manager Scott Perry’s stated goal of getting a player who can “create some more offense off the dribble for himself and for his teammates.”
New York has four first-round picks next summer, though the protected picks of the woeful Detroit Pistons and Washington Wizards are unlikely to convey. But if they wanted to, they could likely beat any team’s offer for DeRozan.
There’s also the Los Angeles Lakers, who DeRozan thought he’d be joining in the 2021-22 season — before Los Angeles traded for Russell Westbrook instead.
Regardless, any time a player is sharing his preferred trade destinations, he’s probably not going to be with his current team long. The DeMar DeRozan era is Chicago is coming to an end.
