The trade is *nearing an agreement*, but here’s some quick thoughts on what this means going forward
The Trade - Knicks receive Derrick Rose / Pistons receive Dennis Smith Jr. and draft compensation
Leon Rose makes his first in-season trade in acquiring former Bulls MVP point guard Derrick Rose, reuniting Rose with Tom Thibodeau
Props to the Knicks beat for being on this one from the jump. After a tumultuous first go around in his second stint with the Knicks, Rose would bring much-needed playmaking and a steady shot to the point-guard position. Last season in 50 games with the Pistons, Rose was solid from the field with a line of 49/30/87. While not a sniper from downtown, he brings enough from beyond the arc and attacking the rim to force the defense to work.
More specifically, we hear Thibs talk about what Rose does best all the time in pre and post-game zoom calls - he makes plays. Whether it’s finishing around the rim or making the right pass, he seems to be on point leading an offense. Last year he ranked in the 92nd percentile in assist percentage, assisting on an incredible 37.2% of his teammates made shots. Elfrid Payton, on the other hand, while solid last year, has an assist percentage of 19.2% this year.
One can argue that D Rose doesn’t bring a lot to defense and that’s fair, he was rough for the Knicks in the 16-17 season. That said, the history with Thibs and his style of defense should alleviate some of that concern. He may not be the athlete, or talent for that matter, that he once was, but Rose could be a nice boost for a team looking to slip into the playoffs.
As for Immanuel Quickley, who knows what exactly this means? One would like to assume he continues his dominance coming off the bench while Rose takes over lead ball-handler duties. Maybe they’ll give him some run with the first unit; I suppose that’s possible. Worst case scenario is that he gets dropped from the rotation, and unless Thibs hasn’t been watching games, I can’t see that happening.
Dennis Smith Jr. is the definition of a player needing a change of scenery. His tenure with the Knicks was rocky, with not many bright spots. It’ll be nice for the young guard to get some run on a team sorely lacking any upside and talent at the guard position (excluding the injured Killian Hayes). I'm interested to see what the compensation is, if it's the Detroit 2nd rounder for the upcoming draft, that's a bit too steep in my opinion. Anything down the road, or in 2023, seems like a fair price at a chance for the reunion.
FRANK NTILIKINA SURVIVES YET AGAIN! Frank hive, where you at?
Whatever course they take, Leon Rose and company will give the team every chance to prove they can do something this year. Derrick Rose could be just the flier this team needs to take the next step.