Detroit Pistons trade Derrick Rose to the Knicks

Derrick Rose (Keith Allison, Wikimedia Commons)

According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN on Sunday, the New York Knicks acquired former NBA Most Valuable Player Derrick Rose from the Detroit Pistons. In return, the Knicks have sent Dennis Smith Jr. and a second-round draft pick in the 2021 NBA Draft to the Pistons. Both Rose and Smith Jr. are point guards.

Rose is actually returning to the Knicks. He played the 2016-17 season in the Big Apple and averaged 18 points per game in 64 contests. In addition to the Pistons, Rose has also played for the Chicago Bulls, Cleveland Cavaliers and Minnesota Timberwolves. It is with the Bulls during the 2010-11 season that Rose was the NBA most valuable player, as he averaged a career-high 25 points per game, and 4.1 rebounds per game.

Rose also had an impact early on in his career with the Bulls. He is only one of four players to score 30 points in a playoff game before turning 20. 

In 15 games this season, Rose is averaging a respectable 14.2 rebounds per game, 4.2 assists per game and 1.9 rebounds per game. He also has a field goal percentage of .429, a three-point percentage of .333, and free throw percentage of .840.

A native of Chicago, Rose will be reunited with Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau, as they were both with the Bulls at the same time from 2010 to 2015. However it should be noted that Rose was already with the Bulls (the first overall pick in the 2008 NBA Draft) by the time Thibodeau came to Chicago.

The Pistons become Smith’s third NBA team, In addition to the Knicks, he has played for the Dallas Mavericks. Detroit will be hoping for more production than the three points per game he is averaging so far this year. Smith Jr. is expected to be in a reserve role with the Pistons behind Delon Wright. Rose is currently second on the Knicks depth chart at point guard behind Elfrid Payton, but Rose is expected to get more minutes with the Knicks than Smith Jr. with the Pistons.

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