The Miami Heat and New York Knicks have been named as preferred spots for Chicago Bulls star DeMar DeRozan if he gets traded this season, according to The Athletic’s Sam Amick.
“When it comes to possible destinations, the Heat and Knicks are known to be preferable to DeRozan if he winds up getting moved,” Amick wrote.
DeRozan is in the final season of his contract with the Bulls, and he will be an unrestricted free agent in the coming offseason.
The Bulls have gotten off to an extremely slow start in the 2023-24 season, going just 6-14 through their first 20 games. With DeRozan in the final season of his deal, the team may look to move him to help start a rebuild since the roster is struggling.
This season, DeRozan is averaging 21.3 points, 3.2 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game while shooting 45.0 percent from the field and 36.4 percent from beyond the arc.
The No. 9 overall pick in the 2009 NBA Draft, DeRozan would certainly be a helpful player for Miami this season, as he would give the team another scorer alongside Jimmy Butler, Tyler Herro and Bam Adebayo.
It may not cost the Heat as much in a trade to get him as it would have cost the team to acquire guard Damian Lillard this past offseason.
After making the NBA Finals last season, the Heat could be looking to make a move to improve their chances in the 2023-24 season. The team has started with an 11-8 record this season, and that has come even with Herro missing several games due to an ankle injury.
The Knicks, who lost to the Heat in the second round of the playoffs last season, could also use a scorer like DeRozan to pair with Jalen Brunson and Julius Randle.
Both the Knicks and Heat are hoping to stay among the best teams in the Eastern Conference this season. New York was the No. 5 seed in the East last season, and it ended up beating the Cleveland Cavaliers in the first round of the playoffs before losing to Miami.
It will be interesting to see if DeRozan – a six-time All-Star – ends up getting moved by Chicago by the trade deadline.
