As the largest market club in the association, the New York Knicks have unsurprisingly been linked to some of the biggest names available on the open market so far this offseason.
Add in the fact that they're the reigning NBA Champions, and there's a case to be made that such connections should almost be expected.
However, to team insider Ian Begley, the chatter about how DeMar DeRozan could be a possible option for the Knickerbockers this summer is something that needs to be shut down.
Ian Begley shuts down link between Knicks, DeMar DeRozan
During a recent discussion with SNY's Eamon McAnaney, Begley completely downplayed the rumors of New York's interest in pursuing the recently waived All-Star, kicking off his anti-DeRozan signing case by reminding viewers "the Knicks have to add a third center," what with the losses of both Mitchell Robinson and Ariel Hukporti.
He then dove into his belief that this buzz is likely stemming from mere fan speculation rather than any internal interest.
"I don't think there's anything there... on either end. I don't see anything happening there with DeRozan and the Knicks," Begley said. "I don't think the Knicks are on his wishlist. I don't think the Knicks have strong interest in bringing DeRozan in. I think you can put that to bed."
As the Knicks insider correctly noted in his assessment, DeRozan is "obviously a very skilled scorer," and his 18.4 points on 49.7 percent shooting from the floor in an admittedly down season with the Sacramento Kings this past year certainly strengthens such sentiment.
However, considering New York ranked 10 in points per game (116.5) and fourth in offensive rating (118.7) during last year's title-winning campaign, it's safe to say Leon Rose and company aren't necessarily prioritizing adding any more ball-dominant scoring weapons to their top-flight rotation this summer.
As Begley suggested, they have another key rotational need that they should be prioritizing instead.
Knicks should still be interested in bolstering center position
In response to Mitchell Robinson's free agency exit, the Knicks opted to sign veteran Andre Drummond as Karl-Anthony Towns' new understudy.
To some, namely Drummond, this replacement strategy provides New York with "a similar talent, similar energy" as their now-departed former pivot.
Of course, as Begley reminded everyone in his discussion with McAnaney, Robinson isn't the only big man who jumped ship this offseason, with Ariel Hukporti opting to sign a one-year, $3.4 million deal with the Philadelphia 76ers.
Because of this, the Knicks are believed to be interested in adding more help at the center spot, with some, such as The Athletic's Sam Vecenie, suggesting the club could realistically make some in-season moves to address this glaring positional need.
At this point, the question isn't whether New York is interested in bringing on more big-man help, but rather when they will finally pull the trigger.
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