DeMar DeRozan may already be Photoshopping himself into a different uniform.
Sam Amick of The Athletic reported this week that the Chicago Bulls star has two preferred trade destinations if he winds up getting moved this season: the Miami Heat and the New York Knicks. Amick adds that DeRozan is considered “very likely” to be on the move before the February trade deadline.
DeRozan, who is averaging 21.3 points and 4.6 assists per game this season, seems to be at the end of the line in Chicago. The Bulls are a rancid 6-14 to start off the year (13th in the East), and the roster may soon crumble around DeRozan. On top of that, the six-time All-Star is in the final season of his contract, giving Chicago added incentive to trade him ahead of the deadline.
The Heat and the Knicks are two solid contenders in the East. The former still has DeRozan’s ex-Toronto Raptors co-star Kyle Lowry, and the latter has been linked to DeRozan for years now.
Granted, it is unclear from a basketball standpoint how DeRozan, a high-usage 34-year-old who is a below-par outside shooter and a general liability on the defensive end, would fit with either team. That won’t stop him from shooting his shot and lobbying the Bulls for one of the two moves.
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