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Derrick Rose: 5 potential landing spots in 2017 NBA free agency

By Gerald Bourguet

Mar 22, 2017; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; New York Knicks guard Derrick Rose (25) dribbles up the court during the first quarter against the Utah Jazz at Vivint Smart Home Arena. Mandatory Credit: Russ Isabella-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 22, 2017; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; New York Knicks guard Derrick Rose (25) dribbles up the court during the first quarter against the Utah Jazz at Vivint Smart Home Arena. Mandatory Credit: Russ Isabella-USA TODAY Sports /
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Derrick Rose
Jan 7, 2017; Indianapolis, IN, USA; New York Knicks guard Derrick Rose (25) shoots the ball while Indiana Pacers center Myles Turner (33) defends in the second quarter of the game at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports /

4. Indiana Pacers

The Indiana Pacers are on the edge of the rebuild precipice, and the moment Paul George is finally traded, they’ll take the leap off a cliff. When that happens, overpaying to retain unrestricted free agent Jeff Teague will hardly be a priority.

If the Pacers can get a former star like Rose at a discounted rate compared to the other big-name point guards hitting free agency this summer, why not? Sure, it’d be a cheap attempt to put butts in the seats during a rebuild, but it’s not the worst option as long as the contract isn’t too long or costly.

Looking up and down the Pacers’ roster, there’s hardly a young point guard that needs grooming. Myles Turner would still be the clear focal point of the rebuild, but Rose would get another chance to revitalize his value playing for a team devoid of offensive weapons and take some of the pressure off Turner to do everything himself.

Now, some Pacers fans may groan at the thought of Rose taking 15+ shots a night, and justifiably so. But outside of Teague, who would be more expensive to re-sign, the Pacers don’t have a single capable point guard on the roster. Is signing Rose to a two- or three-year deal to bridge the gap between now and the team’s next franchise point guard really such a terrible option?