The New York Knicks reached an agreement to make a trade that allows them to acquire Detroit Pistons guard Derrick Rose and reunite him with coach Tom Thibodeau, sources told ESPN on Sunday.
The Knicks will send point guard Dennis Smith Jr along with a second-round pick from the 2021 draft through the Charlotte Hornets to Detroit, sources said.
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The Knicks and Pistons agreed to the trade Sunday afternoon after regular talks that spanned a couple of months, sources said.
Rose rejoins the Knicks, where he spent a turbulent 2016-17 season fighting on the triangle offense under Phil Jackson’s regime. Rose was the youngest MVP in league history under Thibodeau with the Chicago Bulls in 2011 and played for him again with Minnesota in the 2017-2018 season.
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The Knicks are experiencing a competitive rebound under Thibodeau in his first season as coach, emerging as one of the best defensive teams in the league. Rose’s arrival provides help for the NBA’s 25th-ranked offensive team and creates an overlap of veteran guards, including starter Elfrid Payton and Austin Rivers.
Rivers is likely to become a player that contending teams look for in trade negotiations as they look to strengthen their roster closer to the March 25 deadline.
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The Pistons are moving toward a rebuild and worked to find Rose a destination that would appeal to her. Rose, 32, has averaged 14 points and four assists on 42% shooting this season.
For Detroit, Smith, the No. 9 overall pick in the 2017 draft, is seen as a recovery project similar to forward Josh Jackson, who signed with the Pistons in free agency. Smith, 23, recently volunteered to join the G League bubble in Orlando to find playing time.
New York entered Sunday’s game against Miami ranked 25th in the NBA in offensive rating, scoring 106.9 points per 100 possessions. The Knicks defense was ranked No. 6 in the NBA (107.9 points per 100).
ESPN’s Tim Bontemps contributed to this report.
