New York Knicks guard Derrick Rose has been out of the rotation for over a month, and with trade rumors surrounding his name picking up, Marc Stein has now reported that the Knicks want to “do right by” Rose and send the 2011 MVP to an ideal situation for him.
“NY is open to…trade for…Derrick Rose but only if it can, as one insider put it, ‘do right by’ him.”
Marc Stein on Derrick Rose
The best way to interpret an ideal situation for Rose would be for a team that would allow him to get some playing time. Teams that lack veteran presence or depth would suffice.
One team, in particular, to watch for is the Los Angeles Lakers. LeBron James has kept that team within striking distance of a play-in spot while Anthony Davis has been out with an injury, and they are expected to have an active trade deadline where they could move some of their young and inexperienced players to acquire veteran depth in hopes of making a run at the postseason.
The Knicks and Lakers had touched base on a possible three-team trade earlier this season, so the odds of Rose and possible Evan Fournier (who is also out of the Knicks’ rotation) being dealt out West are increasing as each day goes by.
Rose was taken out of the Knicks rotation in early December – along with Cam Reddish – in favor of second-year defensive guard Miles McBride, which shrunk the rotation down to nine players. Rose has only logged in a small handful of brief in-game appearances since then.
Since the sudden shakeup to the rotation, the Knicks are 14-6 and have catapulted from a below-average squad to one of the most productive teams in the NBA.
Prior to being removed from the rotation, Rose was playing very limited minutes at around just 13 per game and is averaging only 5.8 points per game and shooting 39.4% from the field.
It is no surprise that the Knicks are looking to move on from the guy they acquired in 2021, as the team has transitioned from prioritizing veteran players’ minutes to giving the younger players like Immanuel Quickley and Quentin Grimes a larger opportunity, and it has translated into winning for them.
Rose himself has handled the unprecedented situation with remarkable class and sportsmanship and has continued to support those playing over him despite not seeing the floor himself.
“They got Deuce [McBride] playing ahead of me. I can’t hate on that young man. I had him over for Thanksgiving last year. Real cool with his family members. I love the way he’s playing. I would feel a way if I was hating in any type of fashion.”
Derrick Rose via Stefan Bondy of New York Daily News on December 15
It is highly likely that Rose gets dealt at the deadline, but where to remains a mystery. New York’s definition of an ideal situation is also a mystery, but it is safe to assume the organization will do the best they can to please both parties.
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