Former Chicago Bulls MVP winning point guard Derrick Rose still sits firmly in the midst of fan trade speculation concerning the Lakers.
A trade discussions that constantly waxes and wanes around the NBA landscape, especially among the media and fans, within the last calendar year involves the former Chicago Bulls star point guard Derrick Rose and the defending champs Los Angeles Lakers. It seems like the Lakers can’t quite figure out what their support pieces should look like in the backcourt rotation alongside the superstar pairing of point forward LeBron James and big man Anthony Davis.
At least the Lakers know those are the two constants that can keep their championship machine chugging along this season.
The Lakers likely wouldn’t disagree with the notion of upgrading their backcourt rotation in any fashion possible that would be connotative to their short and long-term success. Finding the right trade to acquire a solid point guard and a veteran voice like D-Rose from the Detroit Pistons could be a good way for them to go in the near future.
However, there is no recent definitive evidence linking rumors between D-Rose and the Lakers in any trade deal. There are always whispers and hypotheticals passed around in this type of trade discussion, but that is about all that there is of late.
About the most recent concrete news from this type of discussion was actually Rose’s wife “laughing off” the idea of a Lakers trade rumor. That came after the Rose to the Lakers trade hype started picking up again around the trade deadline last season.
There was also a report out there from Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports in the midst of the 2019-20 regular season that the Lakers and Philadelphia Sixers were interested in looking into a D-Rose trade at the time.
Obviously those rumors didn’t amount to anything, as Rose is still a member of the Pistons at this moment. But that doesn’t stop the hypothetical trade packages from continuing to get tossed around. The NBA Analysis Network listed three potential trade packages that could send D-Rose to the Lakers earlier this week.
There could be some viability to those if the Lakers struggle with depth in the backcourt rotation. But that is something that is yet to be seen or confirmed.
In the meantime, Rose remains productive for the Pistons backcourt rotation this season. Through seven games played so far this season (none of which he’s started in), he’s averaged 15.3 points per game, 2.3 rebounds, 5.4 assists, 1.0 steals, and 0.3 blocks. He’s shot 42.1 percent from the field, 30.0 percent from beyond the arc, and 80.8 percent from the free-throw line.
Rose’s former team, the Bulls, are actually set to face LeBron and the Lakers on the night of Jan. 8, as part of their four-game west coast ride trip. The Bulls currently carry a record of 4-5 this season. And Rose and the Pistons are lagging far behind right now in the Eastern Conference standings, sporting a sub par record of 1-7.