Behind the scenes, the NBA market moves towards deadline, the closing of the market that is going this year (like the season) late: March 25th. Flash moves are not expected, with almost no big stars in sight, a priori, and with the only one he could be, Bradley Beal, far from forcing an abrupt exit from the Washington Wizards for now. But there will be operations, as always: salaries on the move, hopefuls trying to strengthen themselves in the face of the playoffs … the teams with the season already broken or clearly destined to improve in the future will be, always is, sellers. And in this scheme it blocks a name that has been a constant source of buzz in recent market windows: Derrick Rose.
According to Shams Charania (The Athletic), Rose’s departure from the Detroit Pistons may be imminent. The veteran point guard (32 years, 12 in the NBA: No. 1 in the 2008 draft) has agreed with the Michigan franchise that it is best for both of them to separate their paths. Rose wants to play in a franchise with more aspirations, the Pistons want to give more space to their youngsters in a season in which they are the worst team in the league (5-18 now). If this is not surprising, it can. the name of the team that, according to Charania, is already negotiating with the Pistons and has all the ballots to win Rose: New York Knicks. According to this journalist, several franchises have been interested in the point guard, including a clear contender for the ring like the Clippers, who are looking for reinforcements for the rotation of guards, one of their weak points in the face of the playoffs.
And it really seems like something is moving really: Rose has not played since January 30, against the Warriors. In the game against the Jazz he was out due to a stomach problem, against the Suns by rest and against the Lakers now officially for personal reasons. Rose is averaging 14.2 points, 4.2 rebounds and 1.9 assists. Still interesting numbers but quite worse sensations than last year, when he played at his best level in a long time (18.1 points, 5.6 assists) and sounded for a possible exit in the winter market. There, some Pistons already in demolition (they finished 20-46 the season) released veteran ballast with the trade of Andre Drummond and buyouts for Reggie Jackson and Markieff Morris.
The Pistons have a new general manager, Troy Weaver, and their minds set on a future that involves players like Killian Hayes, Sekou Doumbouya, Saddiq Bey … Rose, by age, does not enter that reconstruction arc. The Knicks’ option would mean for him the return to the franchise in which he played in the 2016-17 season, after leaving the Chicago Bulls, and the reunion with the coach for whom he played in the best years of his career, Tom Thibodeau. In the 2010-11 Bulls that won 62 games, Rose was MVP and Tom Thibodeau, Coach of the Year. The Knicks are also a team that wants to rebuild but is doing so by Thibodeau style, with the players who really perform (Julius Randle, Elfrid Payton, RJ Barrett …) on the court and without counting on young people like Knox, Ntilikina, Dennis Smith … who could end up entering (at least some of them) in the Operation Rose.