The Chicago Bulls may be ready to move on from Derrick Rose, and the Knicks may find him as the answer to their point guard woes.
While it seemed like a shocker when Brian Windhorst of ESPN declared that the break-up between the former MVP and his hometown team has begun, it only reflected the inevitable.
However, the question of actually trading him is a different matter. NBA.com's Blogtable had some interesting insights on whether it's time to trade Derrick Rose. Lang Whitaker had his take.
"If I was Chicago, I'd be willing to move Rose, but I just don't know who you get back who can match what Rose brings. Last year, when he was returning from injuries and fighting other injuries, Rose still averaged almost 18 ppg, which is no small feat." Rose is just injury-prone or even unlucky, but he's not washed up and he is still brave enough to drive into the basket.
Whitaker added that the major stumbling block to trading Rose is his huge contract-based on a CBA rule that was named after him. However, Derrick Rose is still a household name, and Whitaker points out that "there are a few teams in major markets - Brooklyn, Boston, New York, the Lakers - who probably wouldn't mind adding another superstar to their mix."
Among those mentioned, it's the two teams based in the big apple who need a point guard. The Brooklyn Nets may have few to offer except Jarett Jack and Joe Johnson. Even on the premise that it's the Chicago Bulls who initiates to trade Rose, the team rarely trades for simply expiring contracts. They would ask for pieces they can use.
In a Real GM forum about Derrick Rose, user 'Sportscrazy' proposed that the Knicks can build a package based on Arron Afflalo and Jose Calderon. They can add other players to match the package like Kyle O' Quinn, Cleanthony Early or Derrick Williams.
For the Bulls, they don't have total flexibility but Calderon and Afflalo are better additions to their currently horrendous backcourt. Also, Jimmy Butler is now the certified alpha dog and there won't be any more controversy with that.
For the Knicks, at the very least, Rose is a former MVP, and it's been a while since someone like that was in the Madison Square Garden marquee. But if he returns anywhere near his MVP form, the Knicks will be an Eastern Conference power with Rose, Carmelo Anthony and Kristaps Porzingis.