Detroit Pistons: ‘Now it’s time to win,’ said Derrick Rose last offseason

Derrick Rose of the Detroit Pistons previously discussed that all he wants to add to his lucrative resume is an NBA championship, and he wants it now.

The once surefire Hall of Fame career for Derrick Rose has taken its twists and turns as the youngest MVP in league history has battled injuries constantly for the past decade. Since he nearly retired in 2017, Rose has been on the warpath as he has seemingly resurrected his career with the Minnesota Timberwolves and Detroit Pistons.

Since then, Rose has not been on a legitimate contender, with no genuine chances of contending for a title with the Timberwolves or Pistons. In an interview before the 2019-20 season on Sirius XM radio, the three-time All-Star had shared his desire to add a missing piece to his resume, a championship — Via NBC Sports Chicago:

“I want to win a championship. That’s what I really want to do. I’ve got all the accolades I want, now it’s time to win.”

Had it not been for the monumental roadblock that was LeBron James or the injuries back in Rose’s days with the Chicago Bulls, perhaps the guard would not be having this conversation. Since an appearance in the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals in 2015, Rose has not seen much postseason success, if any, in brief stints with the New York Knicks, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Minnesota Timberwolves.

That is what made his signing with the Detroit Pistons so questionable. If Rose genuinely wanted to win a championship, Detroit might not have been the best place for him. These comments had many scratching their heads as the Pistons were an eighth-seed the season before but did not look to be gearing up for any legitimate success soon.

Detroit took a significant step back in Rose’s first season with the team, not being invited to the NBA’s restart with a vile 20-46 record, 13th in the Eastern Conference. The team appears to be heading towards a rebuild after trading away Andre Drummond at the deadline. With Rose and Blake Griffin battling injuries throughout this season, keeping the tandem on the roster would undoubtedly make them a better team, but nowhere near championship caliber.

Rose had plenty of contending suitors hoping to pry him away from the Pistons at the trade deadline, but they ultimately held onto him. It was a questionable move considering Detroit’s lackluster season to that point, and a Western Conference executive believes it was a significant mistake.

Via Ric Bucher of Bleacher Report:

“The ask was too great,” the Western Conference executive said. “They totally mishandled that. It was the perfect time to move him. He was the ultimate rental at the trade deadline. You could keep him fresh for the playoffs and still have him next year on a very cap-friendly deal. He (Derrick Rose) would’ve made a first-round playoff team into a second-round team, and he would’ve put the Lakers or the Clippers over the top.”

Rose undoubtedly could have shifted the championship odds drastically had he gotten moved, but he could potentially do so this offseason. Teams will likely make another run at the former MVP when the season concludes, although he will be under contract until 2021. If an organization extends a godfather offer towards the Pistons, perhaps they would be willing to part with Rose, but opposing franchises should not get their hopes up just yet.

Brian Windhorst of The Hoop Collective podcast shared some insight on what possessed Detroit to keep the former MVP on their roster, despite their lack of success.

“From what I understand, when the Lakers called the Pistons and expressed an interest in trading for Derrick Rose, the Pistons said ‘Hey, we appreciate you calling, but we’re not trading him. Dwane Casey likes him. We think he’s going to be important for us next year.’ He just wasn’t available,” Windhorst detailed.

At 31-years-old, Rose proved over the past two seasons that he still had plenty left in the tank, but he just has not been able to utilize it for a contending team. Detroit views Rose as an essential piece to the puzzle, and if they are looking to contend, it makes sense. Still, if this team wants to even consider a playoff berth, let alone a championship, they need to make some more substantial moves.

Given all of Rose’s career ups and downs, winning a championship would certainly add to his incredible redemption story. As one of the most universally loved players in the NBA today, Rose has plenty of supporters hoping he can do it, whatever jersey he puts on.

In 50 games with Detroit this season, Rose averaged 18.1 points, 5.6 assists and 2.4 rebounds per game, primarily off the bench. The Pistons will not take place in the NBA’s upcoming restart, and find themselves facing a question-filled offseason, none more apparent than Rose’s future with the franchise.