New York Knicks Rumors: Bulls’ Derrick Rose A Trade Target For The Knicks — Is He Even Worth Pursuing?


After another disappointing season where the New York Knicks failed to qualify for the NBA playoffs, rumors are heating up regarding how the once-great franchise can turn things around and become a legitimate contender again. While the Knicks were in the Eastern Conference playoff race fairly late into the season, they fell off and finished with a putrid record of 32-50. Since the Knicks do not have a first-round pick in Thursday’s upcoming draft, they cannot even look to the draft for help. Even though it could be a huge risk, the latest reports are stating that the Knicks are internally discussing a trade for Chicago Bulls guard Derrick Rose.

As ESPN reports, the Knicks feel as though Rose could improve their backcourt.

“The New York Knicks are looking to upgrade their backcourt, and one player on their radar is Chicago Bulls point guard Derrick Rose. The Knicks have had internal discussions recently about trading for Rose, league sources tell ESPN.”

It is unknown whether or not the Bulls are looking to trade Rose. While he has been mentioned in various trade scenarios over the past few months, it appears as though a deal was never close to being completed. Since the Knicks do not have a first-round draft pick this season, they would only be able to offer the Bulls future draft selections. Besides Carmelo Anthony and Kristaps Porzingis, a player that the Knicks are not going to trade, it is difficult to imagine a package of players that could interest the Bulls. It is all going to come down to how much the Bulls value Rose at this point in his career and how much they think he is worth.

At only 27-years-old, Rose should be in the middle of the prime of his career. Unfortunately for Rose, injuries have cost him numerous games over the past five seasons. After missing the entire 2012-2013 season, Rose’s return during the 2013-2014 was disappointing. He only played in 10 games, and scored 15.9 points per game and shot 35.4 percent from the field. Things improved for Rose during the 2014-2015 season. He played in 51 games and scored 17.7 points per game, and shot 40.5 percent from the field. Rose has never been an elite shooter, but his scoring efficiency in his first two years back was a cause for concern.

During the 2015-2016 season, Rose played in 66 games and scored 16.4 points per game, and shot 42.7 percent from the field. He also had 4.7 assists per game, 3.4 rebounds, and only 2.7 turnovers, a figure that is 0.2 less than his career average of 2.9. While Rose has lost some of his explosiveness from earlier in his career, he is still a solid player. It is unlikely that Rose will ever match his brilliant 2010-2011 MVP season, but he can be an important piece for a good team. While the Knicks are not currently a good team, they still have Anthony and Porzingis, a player that is expected to take another step forward in his sophomore season.

Assuming the Knicks figure out a package that would be intriguing enough for the Bulls to accept, the only question is whether or not Rose is worth it. While he did manage to avoid any serious injuries this past season, there is always a risk that he could miss a significant amount of time. Additionally, he is owed $21.3 million dollars for the 2016-2017 season, and he has a 15-percent trade kicker. That is very expensive for a player that is no longer a superstar and has not been one in a long time.

Since Rose becomes a free agent after next season, the Knicks would not be locked into a long-term contract. The problem is if Rose has a very productive year for the Knicks, it could be very costly to re-sign him. Since the risk of injury is always there, locking him up long term for a huge contract could be dangerous for the Knicks and the future of their franchise.

With the 2016 NBA Finals set to conclude tonight, trade rumors involving the New York Knicks and Derrick Rose will probably continue to pick up steam over the next few weeks.

[Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images]

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