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

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Feb 12, 2017; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks guard Derrick Rose (25) drives to the basket past San Antonio Spurs guard Tony Parker (9) during the first quarter at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Adam Hunger-USA TODAY Sports /

3. San Antonio Spurs

For God only knows what reason (and by God I mean Gregg Popovich), the San Antonio Spurs are legitimately considering the ghost of Derrick Rose in free agency. According to ESPN‘s Ramona Shelburne, the Spurs had a strong interest in both Chris Paul and D-Rose.

Is that still the case after drafting Derrick White? Was this just the world’s worst smokescreen as the Spurs prepared to chase Chris Paul? Or do they legitimately want Rose as a starting-caliber point guard to fill in for the injured Tony Parker and take the pressure off a 20-year-old Dejounte Murray and the rookie White?

To the people clamoring for Rose to join the Spurs: Welcome to 2017. Blockbuster doesn't exist anymore. MySpace is dead.
— Quixem Ramirez (@quixem) May 24, 2017

It’s hard to say, but perhaps — as always seems to be the case — Pop knows something we don’t. Rose was far from useless on the offensive end last year, and if any organization could salvage his on-court value at age 28, it’d be the Spurs.

The off-court distractions would need to fall by the wayside with a no-nonsense franchise like the Spurs, but now that Paul is out of commission, if those reports are accurate and he’s willing to take a discount, Derrick Rose may have just become San Antonio’s top point guard target in free agency. (Somehow though, this just seems too nonsensical to be based in reality.)