2021 NBA Free Agency: 5 teams that should target Derrick Rose
By Dalton Sell
While the NBA’s 2021 Free Agency class is shaping up to be rather calm, one player that could potentially make a splash is Derrick Rose.
Rose has been shrouded in trade speculation for the past two seasons from a handful of contending teams across the league to bolster their championship aspirations. The team that ultimately landed him was the surging New York Knicks midway through this past season, where Rose helped propel the franchise’s playoff push for the first time since 2013 and ultimately helped them lock up the Eastern Conference’s fourth seed.
With the Knicks’ return to the playoffs ending anticlimactically in just five games against the Atlanta Hawks, Rose will once again enter unrestricted free agency with some decisions to make regarding his next destination.
The former MVP will have no shortage of suitors looking to utilize his services next year to improve their contending status. With that being said, here are five teams that should pursue Rose in NBA free agency.
The New York Knicks should pursue Derrick Rose in 2021 NBA free agency
The most logical landing spot for Derrick Rose in 2021 NBA Free Agency is sticking around with the New York Knicks for multiple reasons.
First and foremost, Rose made it clear that he wants to be there for the foreseeable future. Given his established relationship with head coach Tom Thibodeau and the promising reality that the Knicks could be turning the corner after a season where they shattered expectations, why would he not want to stay in New York and continue to build something special?
After being the only lifeline in their playoff run, the interest to keep Rose in New York should be mutual from the Knicks’ side of things as well. Starting in three of the five games, the 32-year-old averaged 19.4 points, four rebounds, and five assists per game to make this series as competitive as humanly possible. Numbers like that certainly caught the attention of other contenders across the league, and they will try to pry Rose away from the Knicks.
Thibodeau will almost certainly clamor for the team to bring back his favorite point guard, which is entirely justifiable. Set to have some spending money in their back pocket, the front office should make re-signing Rose a priority for them this offseason. With the Knicks on the cusp of potentially breaking through and become legitimate contenders, having a veteran mentor and quality starter or sixth man on the roster is a no-brainer.