Derrick Rose put together an impressive stint with the New York Knicks this season and was a huge part of their run to the No. 4 seed in the Eastern Conference and a playoff berth. Now, he is set to enter NBA free agency this offseason and quite a few teams could have interest in him. While the Knicks would love to bring him back, the Los Angeles Lakers could be a major threat for them.
An NBA executive spoke to NBA Analysis Network about Rose’s future and his upcoming free agency. He stated that the Lakers and Knicks are both eyeing making a run at Rose.
“The Knicks would absolutely love to bring (Derrick) Rose back for another year or two. He was a perfect fit and Tom Thibodeau would like to keep him on the roster. However, there will be plenty of other suitors, including the Lakers, who will be looking for a new point guard with Dennis Schroder leaving town. L.A. is a serious threat to land Rose.”
During the 2020-21 NBA season with the Knicks, Rose played in 35 games following his trade from the Detroit Pistons. He averaged 14.9 points per game to go along with 4.2 assists and 2.9 rebounds. Rose shot 48.7 percent from the floor overall and knocked down an impressive 41.1 percent of his three-point attempts.
In the Knicks’ five-game playoff series loss against the Atlanta Hawks, Rose chipped in 19.4 points, 5.0 assists, and 4.0 rebounds per game. He still has some great basketball left in him.
At 32 years of age, Rose will have a tough decision to make this offseason. Does he join a team like the Lakers that he can chase a ring with? Or does he stick with the Knicks where he had a great run this season?
Other teams are sure to join the pursuit of Rose this offseason. Among the other suitors could be the Los Angeles Clippers, Miami Heat, and Boston Celtics, just to name a few. He is going to be a very popular name in free agency.
Expect to hear a ton of rumors come out about Derrick Rose in the near future. Both the Lakers and Knicks are expected to make a run at signing him, but the market could get much more saturated.
