New York Knicks: Could Derrick Rose Be The Answer They Need?

By Colby Giacubeno | Jun 18, 2016

Apr 7, 2016; Miami, FL, USA; Chicago Bulls guard Derrick Rose (1) looks on during the second half against the Miami Heat at American Airlines Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports /

The New York Knicks are reportedly discussing trade options for Derrick Rose. Could he be the answer they need at the point guard position?

The New York Knicks will head into this offseason looking to fulfill their void at the point guard position. There are a few that will be unrestricted free agents that they could target, but there’s a good chance they would choose another organization that is closer to competing for a championship.

The other way the Knicks could acquire a point guard this summer is via trade. On Friday, ESPN’s Ian Begley reported that the Knicks have been discussing the possibility of trading for Chicago Bulls point guard Derrick Rose.

These discussions are in the preliminary stages, as the Knicks have very little to offer Chicago besides Carmelo Anthony, Kristaps Porzingis or future first round draft picks. Porzingis is set to be the future of the franchise, so his name gets crossed off that list right away. There’s still a market out there for Anthony, so trading for just Rose probably wouldn’t be beneficiary to the Knicks when they could potentially work out a deal with the Cleveland Cavaliers for Kevin Love and other assets as well.

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Would future first round picks be enough to get Rose? Probably not, but then again, he is owed $21.3 million on the last year of his deal next season and Bulls would really like to get him off their salary cap in order to put them in a better position for a possible rebuild.

Rose certainly wouldn’t be the Knicks’ first choice in the point guard pool this summer. With Mike Conley and Rajon Rondo available as unrestricted free agents, landing one of those players would be better considering there wouldn’t be a loss of any assets. If the Knicks and Bulls were to somehow work out a deal to get Rose, it’d be a nice one-year rental for New York and if Rose is able to revitalize his career there, the chances of him re-signing would be more likely.

There is a major caution flag that comes with Rose, though. The 2011 MVP hasn’t been the same player since suffering an ACL tear in the playoffs during the 2011-12 season. Since then, Rose has dealt with a plethora of injuries including a torn meniscus (twice), a left orbital fracture, and other nagging injuries that caused him to miss games.

However, last season Rose started to show glimpses of his old explosive style of play. His number of games played increased to 66 compared to the prior three seasons of 39, 10, and 51. His averages of 16.4 points, 4.7 assists, and 3.4 rebounds per game were one of the few bright spots of the Bulls’ season.

Rose doesn’t look like he’ll ever return to the dominant point guard that averaged 25 points per game, but he could certainly settle into the role of being an above average player at his position.

For the Knicks’ situation specifically, a pass first-minded point guard who can score when called upon would be more ideal. For instance, Conley would be the perfect fit to the puzzle in making New York a playoff contender once again, but it’s uncertain if Rose will accept that his days of being a superstar are likely over.

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If the Knicks were to do this move, it wouldn’t be the worst news by any means. They still would be getting a proven point guard who is night-and-day in comparison to their current options, and if he could develop a rapport with Anthony and Porzingis, there’s a chance that Knicks could make a push for the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference for next season.