New York Knicks: Pros and cons of pursuing Derrick Rose trade
By Dalton Sell
New York Knicks: Pros and of Derrick Rose trade
As previously mentioned, the New York Knicks are a solid team this season. Their roster is very well-constructed, and this team could certainly find themselves fighting for a spot in the postseason down the road this year. However, they will need to look into adding some pieces to the second unit, particularly scorers.
New York’s bench is currently putting up 31.3 points per game, good enough for 26th in the association. While they have several nice pieces off the bench, such as Austin Rivers, Immanuel Quickley, and Obi Toppin, among others, none can provide the spark the Derrick Rose brings to the table.
In the past three seasons split with the Minnesota Timberwolves and Detroit Pistons, including this year, Rose has averaged 17.5 points on .480/.311/.863 shooting splits, 2.4 rebounds, and 5.4 assists per game. He has grown accustomed to primarily playing a sixth-man role, and the opportunity has allowed him to thrive. Rose could serve a similar purpose for the Knicks, giving them one of the better bench players across the league to shore up their second unit.
With the average age of New York’s roster also being 24.7 years old, they are also a relatively young team. As they fight to end their lengthy postseason drought, bringing in a battle-tested veteran like Rose could be a wise move. The 32-year-old has 11 years of NBA experience under his belt and could serve as a veteran leader for this young squad.
Lastly, piecing together a potential trade package for Rose is relatively easy financially. The guard is on the books for $7.7 million before entering unrestricted free agency this offseason. That makes Rose a bargain considering the numbers he is putting up, and all the more enticing as a trade target for the New York Knicks.