Daily Knicks
Fansided

New York Knicks: The Case for Signing DeMar DeRozan in Free Agency

By Zachary Bachar

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - NOVEMBER 23: (NEW YORK DAILIES OUT) DeMar DeRozan #10 of the San Antonio Spurs in action against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on November 23, 2019 in New York City. The Spurs defeated the Knicks 111-104. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph , user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - NOVEMBER 23: (NEW YORK DAILIES OUT) DeMar DeRozan #10 of the San Antonio Spurs in action against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on November 23, 2019 in New York City. The Spurs defeated the Knicks 111-104. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph , user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
3 of 4
Next
RJ Barrett, NY Knicks
RJ Barrett, NY Knicks (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images) /

Knicks: A Mentor for RJ Barrett

DeRozan won’t command a huge salary due to him being 32 years old at the start of next season, so the Knicks might offer him a 2-3 year deal instead of something long-term. Those 2-3 years could partially be spent mentoring RJ Barrett, the Knicks’ future star.

Barrett has taken a huge sophomore leap and looks like every bit of the future All-Star that Knicks fans envisioned when he was selected 3rd overall in the 2019 draft. However, there are still some parts of his game that can be further enhanced.

For one, Barrett is actually attempting less free throws this season. Despite playing 4 more minutes per game, the former Duke standout is averaging just 4.1 free throws this season compared to 4.5 as a rookie.

DeRozan has always been a master at drawing contact, finishing in the top 15 in free throws made in every season since 2011. This year, he’s attempting exactly 7.0 free throws and hitting 88% of them. He could help show Barrett a few techniques to draw contact when driving into the paint.

Another area where the 20-year old sophomore has room to grow is shooting off the dribble. He’s definitely made strides with his raw percentages, hitting a much-improved 42% of his mid-range jump shots and 38% of his threes. However, just over 60% of his jumpers have still come off assists.

DeRozan has been a master in the mid-range for nearly his entire career, and he continues to effortlessly create space and knock down his shots. Only 29.5% of his jumpers have come from assists this season.

While there is the possibility of DeRozan slowing down his production as he enters his early 30s, there’s a great chance that his gradual decline with coincide with Barrett’s rise to stardom. With DeRozan guiding him, that rise should come much quicker than expected.

Home/Knicks Rumors