NBA Trade Rumors: Knicks, Heat named preferred destinations for All-Star guard

NBA Trade Rumors: An All-Star guard could be looking to land with the New York Knicks or Miami Heat ahead of the trade deadline.

The Miami Heat and New York Knicks faced off in the Eastern Conference semifinals last season, in which the Heat got the best of New York in that matchup. However, heading into this season, after their respective offseasons, both the Knicks and Heat are considered part of what makes up the second tier in the Eastern Conference. Neither seems to be a legit championship contender at the moment and could be viewed as teams that remain one piece away from getting over the hump.

Heading into the NBA Trade Deadline, the expectation is that both the Knicks and Heat will be at least somewhat aggressive in trying to find the missing piece to a possible championship puzzle. The problem for both teams is, that they aren't just going to be irresponsible in which star talents they pursue.

If we've learned anything about both these teams in how they operate in the trade market, it's that they're going to be patient. However, there could be one somewhat unexpected candidate on the table for both franchises.

According to a recent report, DeMar DeRozan, who seems like a likely trade deadline candidate, would like to find his way to the Knicks or Heat if he is indeed traded in-season. They are two of his preferred destinations.

Which team would most likely make a move for DeMar DeRozan?

It's hard to predict which one of these two teams would decide to go all-in on a player like DeRozan. He'd offer value to both the Heat and Knicks but I would have to assume that Miami would be the more likely team to view him as a possible missing piece.

At this point in his career, DeRozan isn't a likely seamless fit on any team. But he's so good that he always seems to make it work. I'd be concerned about the DeRozan-Jimmy Butler fit in Miami but they could absolutely his his scoring prowess.

That's kind of what plagued the Heat in the NBA Finals and what has hurt the team so far this season. The question that the Heat would need to ask is whether adding another scoring threat would solve the team's issues. I'm not sure if the answer to that question is yes.

In theory, adding another high-quality scorer can't hurt. The question is, will either the Knicks or Heat make the splash move for DeRozan?