Former Chicago Bulls: Derrick Rose a top NBA trade target?

(Photo by Jevone Moore/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
(Photo by Jevone Moore/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

One of the possibly most attractive 2020 trade deadline targets that could emerge this year is a former Chicago Bulls point guard, Derrick Rose.

A former Chicago Bulls face of the franchise and MVP honoree, point guard Derrick Rose, looks to maybe be on the move again this year. D-Rose was the youngest MVP in NBA history when he was given the honors back in 2011. And he’s having quite the resurgence as one of the best sixth men in the NBA over the course of the last two seasons.

Last offseason, the Minnesota Timberwolves elected not to re-sign D-Rose. That’s when he made his way to the Pistons on a two-year contract worth around $15 million. That looks to be one of the better free agent signings of the offseason, at least as it appears now.

The problem for D-Rose and the Pistons is how far they are out of playoff contention in the Eastern Conference. The Pistons are in a comparable position in the East to the Bulls, with a record of 14-24. But the hope isn’t all that bright for the Pistons heading into the second half of the 2019-20 regular season.

The news just dropped that the Pistons could be without star forward Blake Griffin for the remainder of the regular season thanks to a left knee injury. There will be a lot of pressure set on the shoulders now of D-Rose and breakthrough center Andre Drummond.

So far this season, D-Rose is averaging 17.5 points per game, 2.2 rebounds, and 5.8 assists, while shooting 48.4 percent from the field and posting a player efficiency rating hovering around 22.0. He’s putting up All-Star-caliber numbers and he’s coming off the bench in the Motor City.

According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, D-Rose will be returning to the United Center in the Windy City to participate in the Skills Challenge in All-Star Weekend 2020. With how the initial voting showed out, Rose could also be one of the reserve players for the East in the All-Star Game.

A recent piece released by CBS Sports also mentioned D-Rose as one of the possible names to watch that is moved on the 2020 trade deadline. That was a lengthy list that included dozens of notable names that could be moved, but D-Rose is one of the special stories of the last two seasons. A D-Rose trade would surely command a lot of attention from the national media.

There’s a lot of speculation as to where D-Rose could land too. This piece from Amadou Sow of Fadeaway World mentioned D-Rose among five potential point guards for the Los Angeles Lakers to pursue at the trade deadline.

Title contenders that need point guard help like the Lakers, Houston Rockets, and Los Angeles Clippers, could all be teams that go after D-Rose if the Pistons are open to trade talks on the deadline.