Knicks Have Several Reasons to Not Sign DeMar DeRozan

As our own Steven Simineri laid out on Sunday, the Knicks signing DeMar DeRozan makes sense. The defending champions don't have many weaknesses, and the veteran guard would directly address couple of the few they do have.

He would instantly become the team's second-best shot creator and ball handler. DeRozan's underrated passing and ability to get to the free throw line (while also limiting turnovers) would be a nice weapon for the Knicks to have coming off the bench.

But there is a reason why DeRozan isn't universally sought after. He is an incredibly talented player, yet one that his own warts. And it really makes you ask yourself, "Are his strengths worth the shortcomings?" For the Knicks, I'd argue the answer is "no."

DeMar DeRozan lacks in areas that are key to Knicks' success

New York is coming off of its first championship in 53 years and while addressing weaknesses could be beneficial, the team may be better off doubling down and trying to be better at what won them said championship.

The Knicks' road to winning it all was built on three-point shooting, rebounding and defense. Those are three things DeRozan does not excel at.

He's a career 30.2% three-point shooter who has taken just 1.7 attempts per game. In a league that is increasingly playing a mathematical game built around shooting more threes, your high-usage players have to be willing to shoot from deep, and make them at a respectable clip. DeRozan does neither.

The Knicks are already one of the best midrange shooting teams thanks to Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns, and Mikal Bridges, so DeRozan's strengths there don't add much in the grand scheme.

The Miami Heat and Cleveland Cavaliers have generated the most chatter as potential landing spots for DeMar DeRozan, per @MattGeorgeSAC pic.twitter.com/86SJFJknBa
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) July 7, 2026

DeRozan is also not a particularly great rebounder. Despite being 6'6" and averaging 34.5 mpg throughout his 17-year career, DeRozan has never averaged more than 6.0 rpg. He's actually managed to average less than 4.0 rpg in back-to-back seasons despite playing a starter's 33.6 mpg during that span.

Landry Shamet and Mohamed Diawara, two players Derozan would likely take minutes away from, aren't great rebounders by any means. But their skillsets are much more in sync with what the Knicks want to do. Not only that, they actually amplify the strengths of their two best players, Brunson and Towns.

One of those amplifying skills is their defense. DeRozan has never been known as a great defender. But last season, he was one of the least impactful defenders in the league with a -1.9DDPM.

The veteran guard can undoubtedly carry the bench offense by himself on some nights. But there would also be nights where his defense gives up even more than his offense provides.

DeRozan's preferred role also clashes with Knicks' situation

Lastly, there is the issue of playing time. Or better put, the consistency of said playing time.

It's safe to assume that if the Knicks were to sign DeRozan, he'd be on board with taking a lesser role and coming off the bench. But what made the bench so good last season was the merry-go-round of lineups Mike Brown was able to play around with.

On some nights, it was Deuce McBride getting the majority of the backup guard minutes. Other nights, it was Shamet. Sometimes, it was Jose Alvarado. Occasionally, it was Jordan Clarkson. If it was none of them, it was Diawara.

Q: “Down 2-1 vs Atlanta… was there one player who spoke up?”

Mohamed Diawara: “Brunson, KAT, OG, Josh Hart, Jordan Clarkson—especially Jordan Clarkson… he’s the oldest guy on the team…the vet…and he gave a speech that touched people" pic.twitter.com/hLLoTMn1T8
— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) July 5, 2026

What that meant though, was that there was usually at least one, if not two, bench players who would spend games without being in the rotation. Luckily for Brown and the Knicks, they were all ok with it.

We can't sit here and say with absolute certainty that DeRozan wouldn't buy in. But it would be incredibly hard for him to do so. DeRozan has played a very long time, and he's an incredibly accomplished player.

Even if he were to say that he wouldn't mind, saying something and doing it are completely different. What happens if he starts to rack up DNPs for the first time in his entire basketball career? Does he take it gracefully? Can he do so without ruining the dynamics and chemistry of the team?

Bending over backwards just to make DeRozan happy may put New York worse off, especially if it cuts into Shamet being a playoff-changing player and capitalizing on developing Diawara's clear potential.

The 17-year veteran is still an incredibly talented player. But the Knicks won a championship on outside shooting, rebounding and defense. You could argue DeRozan's downright bad at all three.

Going out of your way to sign DeRozan means potentially upsetting the chemistry of the team, taking away from a bench unit that worked so well, and slowing down Diawara's development.

Clarkson, who would be the most likely option to sign at the wing if it's not DeRozan, isn't the best shooter. But the Knicks know what he provides and that he's ultimately okay with possibly playing sporadic minutes.

He re-invented himself into a not great, but gritty and pressuring defender, who was among the best offensive rebounding reserve guards in the league. He provides a lower ceiling than DeRozan does, but he also provides a floor that works for New York.

For other teams, I'd say go for the higher ceiling. For the defending champions, though, the more known floor may be the way to go.

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