Detroit Pistons: Derrick Rose trade may prove to be addition by subtraction

According to The Athletic’s Shams Charania, the Detroit Pistons are nearing a deal to send Derrick Rose to the New York Knicks. The Pistons needed to make a move to avoid losing him for nothing as his contract expires at the end of the season, and getting what will likely be Dennis Smith Jr. and draft assets is a fine return.

While the Pistons are getting something back from the Knicks for Rose’s services, what might be more important on the floor is that this trade could prove to be an immediate addition by subtraction.

Why trading Derrick Rose is addition by subtraction for the Detroit Pistons

Last season was a complete rejuvenation for Derrick Rose, at least when he was able to stay healthy and on the court. While he had some confounding end-of-game foibles, overall he was excellent and played some of the best basketball of his post-MVP career.

He was a major positive in the locker room with his teammates, especially as the season wore on and the roster’s veterans were shipped out of town and more youngsters entered the rotation. NBA players love Derrick Rose, and the players of the Detroit Pistons were no exception.

Whether it be a matter of advancing age and time catching up to him, or the fact that he wasn’t able to get his usual offseason routine in what has been the strangest year in memory, nobody really knows. But the Derrick Rose of last season has not been the Rose of this season.

His shooting dipped from last season’s 49.0 percent to just 42.9 percent this season. Rose’s scoring is down from 18.1 points per game to just 14.2, and his assist and rebound totals have dipped as well.

It shouldn’t really come as a surprise that the Pistons get blasted out of the gym when he’s on the floor this season. When Rose plays, the Pistons score just 101.6 points per 100 possessions and allow 111.7, a -10.1 margin. However, when Rose sits, the Pistons score 108.1 points and allow a slightly more respectable defensive rating of 110.7.

This is less of a byproduct of who he plays with than you might think. For example, the player Rose plays with the most is Jerami Grant. While Grant has been phenomenal this season, the duo has an ugly net rating of -7.1. Conversely, when Grant plays without Rose, the Pistons have a +1.5 net rating in 1,287 possessions.

That meager margin might not seem like much, but we’re talking about a 5-18 team here. Any combination that has a positive net rating over a big sample is notable.

It’s important to note that the Pistons’ record can’t be blamed on Rose. The Pistons are 4-11 when he plays and 1-7 when he doesn’t this season. He’s not the problem, he just isn’t part of the solution. The rebuilding trajectory this organization is on doesn’t have a place for him and he knows it, and a return to the New York Knicks may end up being the best place for him to end up at this stage in his career.

As far as win-win scenarios go, the Derrick Rose experience with the Detroit Pistons and its conclusion may end up being the best example we’ll see of that for a team and its departing player.