NBA Rumors: Derrick Rose Rejoining LeBron James On LA Lakers, ‘Bleacher Report’ Predicts

Former NBA MVP Derrick Rose is once again putting up impressive performances in the 2019-20 season. In 35 games with the Detroit Pistons, the 31-year-old point guard is averaging 18.0 points and 5.8 assists while shooting 48.8 percent from the field and 32.4 percent from beyond the arc. However, with the Pistons struggling to consistently win games, fans may not see Rose in action in the 2020 playoffs.

Rose’s fate this season could change if the Pistons would trade him to a legitimate title contender before the February deadline. If he becomes officially available on the trade market, there’s a chance he may end up with the Los Angeles Lakers. In his recent article, Greg Swartz of Bleacher Report predicted that the ex-MVP will rejoin his former Cleveland Cavaliers teammate LeBron James in Los Angeles in the coming weeks.

“LeBron James-led teams have traditionally made moves at the trade deadline, and this year will be no exception. James and Derrick Rose will be reunited after Rose played just 16 games in Cleveland during the 2017-18 campaign. That season, Rose suffered a combination of injuries, briefly left the team because of personal reasons and was ultimately traded to the Utah Jazz, who waived him days later. This version of Rose is far better.”

James and Rose’s lone season playing together may not have gone well, but it doesn’t necessarily mean that the same thing will happen if they ever reunite in Los Angeles. Aside from the difference in the coaching system, he has also become a more willing passer and is in better shape compared to how he was in his one-year stint with the Cavaliers. As Swartz noted, Rose would be an upgrade over Rajon Rondo as the Lakers’ primary backup point guard. His potential arrival in Los Angeles would ease the load on James’ shoulders in terms of ball-handling and scoring.

Rose may not have shown any signs that he’s no longer happy in Detroit. But at this point in his NBA career, he would likely prefer to play for a legitimate title contender than to stay on a mediocre team like the Pistons. Being traded to the Lakers would not only give him the opportunity to play in this year’s playoffs, but it would also give him a realistic chance of winning his first NBA championship.

However, the Lakers might not be able to get Rose from the Pistons without giving up valuable assets. According to a previous The Inquisitr article, Los Angeles could offer a trade package including DeMarcus Cousins, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, and Quinn Cook to the Pistons in exchange for the point guard