It’s safe to say Derrick Rose will finish the season with the New York Knicks.
Rose remained with the Knicks past the March 1 artificial buyout market deadline. If Rose gets bought out, he will no longer be eligible to suit up in the playoffs for a new team. The Phoenix Suns reportedly wanted to sign him if the Knicks bought him out.
Despite another clamor from the soldout Garden crowd, Rose did not play in garbage time of Wednesday night’s 142-118 shellacking of crosstown rival Brooklyn Nets. He joined another veteran, Evan Fournier, as the only Knicks who received DNP in their seventh straight win that firmly entrenched them in fifth place in the East.
But it doesn’t mean Rose no longer has value to the team. He may have been out of the rotation, but his leadership is valued highly by his longtime coach Tom Thibodeau and the Knicks organization.
“He contributes in a big-time way to our team,” said Thibodeau. “We know how important he is to the team. Whether he was a starter coming off an injury or coming off the bench or not in the rotation, he’s a very positive guy.”
“He’s been through a lot. And going through adversity, he’s gone through it all. He’s always lifting people up.”
Randle and Brunson, the young leaders of this streaking Knicks team, have spoken a lot in the past on how Rose has impacted them even though he’s not playing.
Rose is still owed $14.5 million this season and has a $15.6 million team option next season. The Knicks are reportedly not inclined to pick up his team option unless he could serve as salary ballast in a trade for a star.
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