Where Could Knicks Trade Derrick Rose?
South Beach in January sounds like a much better place for a Rose to bloom than New York City.
That's what one anonymous NBA executive disclosed in a conversation with Sean Deveney of Heavy.com, hinting that the Miami Heat could contact the New York Knicks about the services of backup point guard Derrick Rose. The 2011 MVP is in the midst of his second stint and fourth year with the Knicks, who brought him back to Manhattan in a February 2021 trade with the Detroit Pistons after New York was his first stop for a season on what's been a nomadic career since his time with the Chicago Bulls ended in 2016.
While some have suggested a reunion with the Bulls (especially considering the warm receptions Rose routinely receives when he comes back to United Center as a visitor), the exec feels the uncertainty surrounding another veteran point guard could help the Heat.
"Miami is a team to look at there," the exec says. "They’re not confident that Kyle Lowry will be healthy in the playoffs, and they’ve had interest in Rose before."
Lowry, 36, is in the midst of his second season with Miami and is averaging 14.4 points and six assists per game. While he has appeared in, and started, 30 games so far this campaign, he has missed five of the last 10 thanks in part to a knee injury. He did not play in Wednesday's win over the Los Angeles Lakers due to personal reasons. Lowry, a six-time All-Star and 2019 NBA champion with Toronto, is not on the injury report for the Heat's Friday night tilt against the Denver Nuggets (9 p.m. ET, Bally Sports Sun).
While Lowry has proven himself more than capable of big performances as he enters the latter part of his 30s, the Heat may be interested in seeking depth and insurance as they try to climb their way back from a slow start. The Knicks' active five-game losing streak has partly allowed Miami (18-17) to get back into the conversation for the Eastern Conference's top six playoff spots. They currently hold the top seed in the four-team Play-In Tournament, a half-game behind idle Indiana for sixth place entering Friday action.
Rose likely wouldn't push Miami's needle back toward full-on championship contention but the Heat would likely provide a better place for him to contribute. This season has seen Rose rise and fall throughout the Knicks' depth chart, his modern prospects for playing time more recently buried by the increased reliance upon sophomore Miles McBride.
Injuries to both RJ Barrett and Jalen Brunson (two of the Knicks' top three scorers) have temporarily afforded Rose a regular role again, but Miami's declining depth beyond Lowry (both Victor Oladipo and Gabe Vincent each fight injuries) would likely give him an immediate place to contribute in South Beach. Prior to the past two games, both mostly without the services of Barrett and Brunson, Rose had played only 11 minutes over the prior 11 games.
If the Knicks are indeed able to ship Rose off before the trade deadline in early February, don't expect a headlining return, such as another addition to the expansive cabinet of first-round picks they've established. A trade for Rose would have to be made with not only this year but the following season in mind as well: he has a team option worth over $14.5 million in guarantees due next year, part of a three-year deal he signed with the Knicks in August 2021. Health is another issue: Rose hasn't played in more than 51 games in a single season since 2016-17, his first go with the Knicks.
In addition to Miami, the exec also lists Dallas as a possible contender for Rose's services, telling Deveney that the Mavericks could attempt to replace one former Knick with another.
“Dallas signed Kemba (Walker) but if he does not work out, they’d be a possible spot,” they said.
In the meantime, New York (18-18) will look to end its aforementioned losing streak on Saturday night when they take on the Houston Rockets (7 p.m. ET, MSG).
Geoff Magliocchetti is on Twitter @GeoffJMags
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