The New York Knicks are monitoring DeMar DeRozan as a potential buyout target if the Sacramento Kings cannot find a trade partner, per Empire Sports Media’s reporting. DeRozan is owed $25.7 million next season with only $10 million guaranteed, which opens the door to a buyout scenario where he lands elsewhere on a veteran minimum deal. The fit is not automatic, but the need is real – New York’s second unit has a scoring problem that a healthy DeRozan could meaningfully address.
Sacramento is expected to pursue a trade first before committing to a full buyout, so New York’s timeline here depends entirely on whether any team bites on that contract.
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The Buyout Math Works – The Roster Fit Requires More Scrutiny
DeRozan averaged 18.4 points on 49.7 percent shooting across 77 games last season in Sacramento, doing it with a reduced role and a usage rate that dipped to 22.8 percent.
That efficiency with scaled-back volume is exactly what a buyout candidate needs to show a contender – he can produce without demanding the keys to the offense. His durability record backs that up too, with 70-plus games logged in 11 of his last 13 seasons.
The complication is stylistic. DeRozan lives in the mid-range, operates best at his own pace, and brings almost nothing from three-point range.
Dropping him into a half-court heavy second unit alongside Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns at various rotational moments could work beautifully – or create exactly the kind of stagnant possessions Tom Thibodeau cannot afford in April.
The defensive side is where the real pressure test lives. The Knicks cannot add a famous name and spend the playoffs hiding him on every coverage assignment.
Advanced metrics have graded DeRozan as a slightly below-average defender in recent seasons – not disqualifying, but not something New York can paper over with good intentions. Full stop.
The Scoring Need Is Legitimate – But the Knicks Cannot Chase This at Any Price
New York’s bench scoring depth has been a genuine concern, and DeRozan remains one of the league’s most reliable half-court bucket-getters even as his role has scaled down.
His ability to function as a bench initiator – he averaged roughly four to five assists per game during his best Chicago seasons – adds a secondary dimension that goes beyond pure volume scoring.
The Knicks front office has done careful, deliberate work building around Brunson, Towns, and Mikal Bridges, as this site’s coverage of New York’s veteran addition strategy and Rich Paul’s Brunson contact condition documents.
A cheap DeRozan signing on the veteran minimum fits that disciplined framework. A promise-heavy pursuit that disrupts rotation balance does not.
Other Contenders Are Watching – The Knicks Have a Narrow Window
National buyout-market previews consistently place DeRozan on short lists for playoff teams needing half-court scoring, which means New York will not be the only call Sacramento’s front office receives.
The Miami Heat and other contenders with bench scoring gaps have been linked to similar veteran targets in recent offseason cycles. If the Kings cannot move the contract via trade and pull the trigger on a buyout, the market for DeRozan will move fast.
What a Veteran Scorer Addition Does to Knicks Championship Futures
A low-cost DeRozan signing would not dramatically shift New York’s championship futures price, but it closes a specific bench scoring weakness that has shown up in odds modeling.
Contenders that address depth without sacrificing cap flexibility tend to hold their futures value deeper into the season. Fantasy managers rostering Knicks bench pieces should monitor this closely – a DeRozan signing reshuffles second-unit minutes immediately.
Check the sportsbook table above for the best available lines on New York’s title and conference odds.
The Next Hard Checkpoint Is Sacramento’s Trade Deadline Decision
The next hard checkpoint is whether the Kings find a trade partner before committing to a buyout – that answer will determine whether any Knicks pursuit becomes real or stays theoretical.
Keep an eye out on NYSD for further updates on the Knicks and the buyout market as this situation develops.
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