Knicks’ Star Pursuit Adds Twist With Latest Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan Bulls Trade Rumor

The Knicks have seemingly been linked to virtually every high-profile name in free agency and on the trade market during the past two or three seasons. So when trade rumors intensified around the Bulls, specifically the duo of Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan, New York appeared ready to pull off the deal it’s been targeting.

But then came a next sharp left turn, throwing a wrench in the entire process (at least for the time being). As of earlier this week, the Knicks haven’t had any trade talks with Chicago involving LaVine, DeRozan or any other player, per Ian Begley of SNY.com.

After years of being linked to virtually any name imaginable, two players that could be realistic options appear to be on the open market and the Knicks are opting against reaching out.

But maybe there’s more to all of this, and considering how long the Knicks have waited, if they need to stick it out for another season or more in order to land one or two players they covet, it makes sense. And that’s where one tidbit that came out previously on the Knicks and DeRozan makes this idea come together.

DeRozan’s Interest in Knicks Makes Things Far More Interesting

DeRozan has the Knicks on a very short list of preferred landing spots, with the other team being the Heat, according to The Athletic’s Sam Amick. And if New York can land DeRozan in free agency without sending off young assets or draft picks in the process, it sets them up for part two of star-hunting in the Big Apple.

Joel Embiid or Donovan Mitchell.

If rumblings and rumors of a team’s interest in a player had a ranking scale, Embiid and Mitchell would be 1A and 1B. Embiid is under contract through 2026-27 and Mitchell until 2025-26, but if there begins to be a belief that either of those players will not re-sign, it opens the door for a frenzy of trade chatter.

In that potential scenario, the Knicks could position themselves well with an appealing roster and assets to trade, allowing them to have a first-class ticket in the hypothetical pursuit of either Embiid or Mitchell.

The Knicks would essentially be playing the ultimate long game here, but they’ve held out this long, so why not get it right?