Detroit Pistons: 3 possible trade destinations for Derrick Rose
By Duncan Smith
What a Derrick Rose trade with the LA Clippers would look like
The LA Clippers are coming off one of the most disappointing postseason performances we’ve seen in a long time, losing a 3-1 lead to the Denver Nuggets in the second round of the NBA playoffs. There have been consequences, like Doc Rivers getting fired from his head coaching job, and there will likely be further consequences.
Derrick Rose could fill a similar role with the Clippers as he would with the Lakers (let’s be honest, that’s what he’s going to do anywhere he ends up), and the Clippers are similarly deep and would allow for him to avoid heavy minutes. The Clippers just undertook the NBA’s greatest-ever load management experiment with disastrous results, so adding the quintessential load management candidate might not be great optics, but one does what one must in the NBA.
In addition, getting Rose would mean that the Lakers couldn’t, and that’s got some value as the Western Conference’s top two teams look to build up against each other.
As for a return for the Detroit Pistons, the Clippers are even more destitute than the Lakers are from a draft perspective. Thanks to the haul they traded for Paul George, the Clippers don’t even have their own first-round pick until 2027. Kyle Kuzma is probably a better return alone than the Clippers could provide at this point.