NBA Rumors: Sixers Could Acquire Derrick Rose For Smith, Bolden & Second-Round Pick, Per ‘Bleacher Report’
With interest in Detroit Pistons point guard Derrick Rose heating up as the NBA’s February 6 trade deadline nears, it appears that the Philadelphia 76ers are one of the teams that are interested in landing the former league MVP. As suggested in a new report, all the Sixers may have to surrender are a pair of young players and a future draft pick if they want to add the erstwhile Pistons sixth man to their roster.
On Monday, Bleacher Report’s Andy Bailey started his list of potential trade destinations for Rose by noting that the 31-year-old is putting up similar numbers per 36 minutes to the ones he posted during his 2010-11 MVP campaign with the Chicago Bulls. But with the Pistons (16-28, ninth in Eastern Conference) going through a rough season, they are expected to be “sellers” ahead of the trade deadline, which could mean dealing Rose to one of his rumored suitors — including the Sixers, Los Angeles Lakers, and “multiple [other] teams with championship aspirations,” as recently reported by Yahoo Sports’ Chris Haynes.
For his Sixers trade idea, Bailey explained that Philadelphia isn’t exactly loaded with young assets it could trade to rival teams in exchange for a player who could help them contend for this year’s NBA championship. However, he suggested that the team could offer second-year players Zhaire Smith and Jonah Bolden, as well as a future second-round pick, in order to acquire Rose from Detroit and give Ben Simmons a quality backup at the point guard position.
? D-Rose DIMES! ?
20 PTS (10-12 FGM), 6 AST for Derrick Rose gives him his 7th straight 20-point game! #DetroitBasketball pic.twitter.com/fySuyKPPdD
— NBA (@NBA) January 16, 2020
Talking about how Smith and Bolden could help the Pistons, Bailey wrote that it’s too early to call the former a bust, as the 20-year-old guard entered the league in 2018 as a first-round pick who could defend multiple positions and provide some nice athleticism. Bolden, on the other hand, was described as a versatile big man who has a lot of the tools needed to be a successful NBA center in the modern era.
“Offering them and a second-round pick for Rose’s instant offense is justifiable,” Bailey continued.
Further discussing Rose’s potential impact if the 76ers trade for him, the Bleacher Report writer said that he satisfies Philadelphia’s perceived need for a “dribbler,” even if he’s not the best outside shooter among the NBA’s point guards. He added that Rose could be an effective pick-and-roll player alongside Simmons, as the two former No. 1 overall draft picks — together with the team’s known shooting specialists — could give the Sixers a “sustainable” offense whenever All-Star center Joel Embiid is out due to injuries.
