Knicks Must Trade for DeMar DeRozan to Compete for 2024 NBA Title Amid Latest Rumors

Following their exit in the second round of the NBA playoffs, the New York Knicks will be looking to make moves this offseason that will not only ensure a deeper run in the postseason but also deliver a first world championship since 1972-73.

According to Ian Begley of The Putback, Bulls star DeMar DeRozan could be the most significant piece added to the team, especially if the player himself has any say in it:

Some of that can be attributed to mutual ties between DeRozan and the team, as Begley revealed, but his contract does not hurt the chances of a trade being made, either.

The 33-year-old is in the final year of a contract that will pay him $28.6 million next season, per Spotrac, and he is infinitely more manageable than potential additions like Washington's Bradley Beal, who still has four seasons left on a fully-guaranteed deal, or Minnesota's Karl-Anthony Towns, who has a supermax contract but has had his name come up in relation to New York.

Such a move would likely require the Knicks to part ways with Julius Randle or RJ Barrett, if not both, but DeRozan's value would trump both of them.

Randle did not get back on defense in the playoffs and was hardly the disruptive force one would have hoped for against Miami.

This season saw a slight decrease in points per game for Barrett, who is four seasons into his career, but the Knicks have Jalen Brunson in the best form of his career. Wasting that and the team already assembled just to wait on the 22-year-old being ready to contribute to a championship-winning franchise is not an option.

Not when a potential opportunity exists to acquire a consistently strong All Star-level player in DeRozan.

The Bulls forward averaged just over 36 minutes, 24.5 points, 50.4 from the floor, 32.4 from beyond the arc and 87.2 from the line this season. Those numbers are nearly identical to the previous season, though points were down slightly.

The USC product is consistent and has repeatedly showed an ability to take over games and win them for his team, something the Knicks struggled to do outside of Brunson, especially in the postseason.

DeRozan is a difference-maker, even 14 seasons into his NBA career, and can be the mid-range shooter the team needs. That his contract is so accommodating, makes him even more appealing.

The Knicks' willingness to sign him beyond that would likely determine how eager DeRozan is to make the jump to New York and chase the NBA championship that has eluded him so far in his career.