3 free agents the Knicks should start thinking about right now
By Scott Rogust
2. DeMar DeRozan, G/F
If New York’s first-round series against Atlanta proved anything it is that the team desperately needs to add a legitimate scorer to pair alongside Randle, the 2021 Most Improved Player. While yes, Randle has not done well in terms of shooting, he is receiving extra attention from the Hawks. That is because there is not another legitimate scoring option on the court with Randle.
The Knicks can solve that problem by adding swingman DeMar DeRozan.
After spending the majority of his career with the Toronto Raptors, DeRozan was traded to the San Antonio Spurs in part of the blockbuster deal including Kawhi Leonard. While DeRozan did join a Spurs team that was far from the dynastic powerhouse it used to be, he did improve his game under head coach Gregg Popovich.
In his first season with the Spurs, DeRozan averaged 6.2 assists and 6.0 rebounds per game through 77 regular-season games, both career-highs. Back in the 2019-20 campaign, the swingman shot an impressive 53.1-percent from the field, a career-best. Then there was this past campaign.
Through 61 games, DeRozan averaged 21.6 points, a new career-high 6.9 assists and 4.2 rebounds while posting a 49.5 field goal percentage.
DeRozan has averaged over 20 points per game for the past eight seasons. That should open up the eyes of the Knicks, because he could be a welcome presence to the team’s starting lineup.