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New York Knicks: 5 deals that would make them instant contenders

By James Kattato

WASHINGTON, DC - APRIL 05: DeMar DeRozan #10 of the San Antonio Spurs dribbles in front of Bradley Beal #3 of the Washington Wizards during the first half at Capital One Arena on April 05, 2019 in Washington, DC. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC - APRIL 05: DeMar DeRozan #10 of the San Antonio Spurs dribbles in front of Bradley Beal #3 of the Washington Wizards during the first half at Capital One Arena on April 05, 2019 in Washington, DC. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images) /
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Demar DeRozan and the blockbuster backcourt

Demar DeRozan, San Antonio Spurs. New York Knicks. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)
Demar DeRozan, San Antonio Spurs. New York Knicks. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images) /

Demar DeRozan deserves a ring after what just happened with the Toronto Raptors. He gave his all to the team that drafted him for nine seasons and was a standout player. He was a four-time All-Star, two-time All-NBA player and was one of the top players in Toronto history.

The main difference between him and a guy like Kawhi Leonard wasn’t the scoring, because they were both three-tier scorers. The main difference was their defense. I guess that paired with the development of Pascal Siakam and their veteran additions were enough for Toronto to win it all without DeRozan. So now he’s entering his athletic prime, what do we see from DeRozan? Well if he’s a Knicks player at any point in this season, it could be a lot of fun to see.

He’s a veteran presence that has shown the ability to lead a team as well as take the passenger seat and become more of a system player. The good thing about DeRozan is that all he cares about is winning. Its evident by the energy and emotion the Compton, CA native brings to the court. He’s an efficient player that can impact the game in so many ways due to all of his offensive skills.

One of the more clutch players in the NBA, DeRozan can light up most defenders and make them look silly in the process. He’s a career 20 PPG scorer who excels with his back to the basket. DeRozan draws so much attention in the post that he’ll be able to find cutters and open shooters. Not to mention, he’s always operated well with a big man.

Whether it was Jonas Valanciunas, Serge Ibaka, or LaMarcus Aldridge, Demar can work well in the pick and roll with most big men that he plays with. This would be great for the development of young Knicks big, Mitchell Robinson. As he develops his offensive game in the NBA, playing with a star like DeRozan, he would see more open opportunities and will increase the overall quality of his game.

This could be a move that benefits both the Knicks and San Antonio. Ntilikina would do well under a coach like Gregg Popovich and the first-round pick can always help a team like the Spurs who seem to do exceedingly well at finding undiscovered gems in the draft. This move would be a personal favorite and I think the East is competitive, but DeRozan to the Knicks could lead a few other star-caliber players to the team because he’s such a good player to team up with.

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