Chicago Bulls point guard Derrick Rose. (Photo : Getty Images)
The Indiana Pacers are a team that was suddenly facing an overhaul after Larry Bird decided to let go of coach Frank Vogel.
At the very least, this marks a change of direction for the team. The Pacers were known as one of the best defensive teams in the league and that has even led them to the Conference Finals twice. However, as their veteran frontliners have moved on (Roy Hibbert, David West), the team may need to look towards developing a more fluid offense.
As the Pacers hired Nate McMillan as their new coach with the clear directive to play a quicker pace, getting a quality point guard has become a necessity. The Pacers even gambled on Ty Lawson just to try out his potential on this end, but the experiment failed and Chuck Myron of Hoops Rumors remarked that this would have been a factor in Vogel's departure.
"Perhaps Lawson failed to deliver because Vogel didn't give him enough of a chance, or maybe the blame rests with Lawson, who didn't succeed with the Rockets, either."
Nonetheless, the Pacers will still need a better option at the point guard position. With the point guard market scarce (there will be an all-out bidding war on Mike Conley) and the Indiana not exactly a free agent hot spot, Myron noted that "another way to use cap space is to absorb players into it via trade."
The Pacers already attempted to trade for Jeff Teague of the Atlanta Hawks at the deadline as ESPN reported: "Sources say the Indiana Pacers have made inquiries and have dangled guard George Hill as a possible swap."
Teague is now the target of teams who would not be able to land Mike Conley and the Pacers would still have stiff competition if they don't get to offer their top trade assets (Paul George, Myles Turner). This is why Myron named Derrick Rose as a legitimate target.
"Bird and company could see what it would take to trade for Derrick Rose if they're willing to overpay him for a season before his contract runs out."
Rose performed well in the latter part of the season even as the Bulls eventually did not make the playoffs. There were observers who noted that he could thrive in the "Hoiball" offense run by Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg, and might be a better fit than Jimmy Butler, but the Bulls seem to have decided that Butler is the new face of the team.
Indiana would be a great place for Rose to prove himself again. He is in a contract year and will play his best to win another long-term deal.
