The San Antonio Spurs DeMar DeRozan shooting guard has been featured in a number of trade rumors. The Indiana Pacers and the New York Knicks have rarely been linked to the four-time All-Star in the past few months, but a recent report mentioned both teams as potential destinations if it were to be swapped in the 2020 low season.
On Monday morning, Grant Hughes of ‘Bleacher Report’ explained that despite his solid numbers, DeRozan is not an ideal fit for most NBA teams and is not that much better, even if he stays with the Spurs. He pointed out that the 30-year-old essentially hampered a number of young backcourt players in San Antonio who could benefit from additional game time on a team under reconstruction. It was also noted, however, that the Spurs may have been justified in giving their young guards less minutes than expected, especially since one of them, Dejounte Murray, had lost almost all three games in the 2018-19 season. because of a torn ACL.
Hughes mentioned Pacers and Knicks as two teams that could potentially make good use of DeRozan’s skills if the Spurs swapped him in the offseason. The writer of the Bleacher Report explained that the teams that trade with the shooting guard would need to have good defenders in both guard positions and with a small advancement, also feeling comfortable with the fact that the shooting profile “anachronistic “by DeRozan doesn’t include too many three-point shots.