A trade that rocked the NBA landscape in a minor way to round out the weekend arrived on Feb. 7. Former Chicago Bulls superstar point guard and the 2010-11 NBA MVP Derrick Rose was traded from the Detroit Pistons to the New York Knicks in return for some future draft capital. Another key player involved in the trade was the former NC State Wolfpack point guard Dennis Smith Jr., who will have now a shot with his third team in his still young NBA career to date.
This will be the first repeat stint that D-Rose had in his NBA career with any team thus far. The first time he was traded was back during the 2016 offseason, when the Bulls dealt him to the Knicks. In total, this will now be the sixth team that D-Rose has played for in his NBA career.
The other three teams he’s played for outside of the Bulls and Knicks includes the Minnesota Timberwolves, Pistons, and Cleveland Cavaliers.
The Detroit Pistons are nearing agreement on deal to send Derrick Rose to the New York Knicks for Dennis Smith Jr. and draft compensation, sources tell me and @JLEdwardsIII.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 7, 2021
Moreover, the report that the Pistons dealt Rose to the Knicks came from The Athletic. Shams Charania and James Edwards of The Athletic reported the complete details of the trade over the weekend.
But the question that a lot of Bulls, Pistons, and Knicks fans alike will be asking is how much success is D-Rose setup for now that he returns to a big market team for the first time in a few years.
Is the former Chicago Bulls star setup for success?
The ending to the tenure of D-Rose with both the Bulls and Knicks in the mid-to-late 2010’s didn’t go all that well. All of the pressure and scrutiny that comes along with playing in a big market when you’re an injury prone star like Rose clearly didn’t mix well. Rose was able to re-ignite his career with the likes of the Timberwolves and Pistons in the last few seasons.
Prior to getting traded to the Knicks, Rose had played in 15 games for the Pistons this season (starting in none of them). And he averaged 14.2 points per game, 1.9 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.2 steals, and 0.3 blocks. Rose shot 42.9 percent from the field, 33.3 percent from beyond the arc, and 84.0 percent from the free-throw line.
And during his first stint with the Knicks that lasted for just one season (during the 2016-17 campaign), Rose started in all 64 regular season games he played in. He averaged 18.0 points per game, 3.8 rebounds, 4.4 assists, 0.7 steals, and 0.3 blocks. And Rose shot 47.1 percent from the field, 21.7 percent from beyond the arc, and 87.4 percent from the free-throw line.
Most signs would point to Rose’s game regressing when he lands back with the Knicks. But if his workload is managed well (as he fits more of a sixth or seventh man role at this point in time), then Rose’s second stint with the Knicks could be much better than the first.
Maybe the way that Rose has re-ignited his career in a new found role in the last three seasons with the Pistons and Timberwolves will help him find more stability in going back with a big market team in the Eastern Conference. That has to be the hope for most Bulls fans, especially those that still remain in the D-Rose support camp.
Rose and the Pistons had racked up a record of 5-18 after getting off to a rough start this season, good for last place in the Eastern Conference standings. And the Knicks currently hold an improved record of 11-13 as they hope to contend for a spot in the playoffs this season.