Bucks Could Be ‘Team to Watch’ for Knicks Guard: Report

Getty Derrick Rose could be on the move.

With news that the New York Knicks are shopping Derrick Rose, there are a variety of suitors potentially lined up for him and his services.

The Knicks are reportedly shopping both Rose and Immanuel Quickley according to The Athletic’s Shams Charania, so teams could end up having their choice of guards.

“The Knicks have shown a willingness to discuss Derrick Rose and Immanuel Quickley in trade talks, league sources say, as a way to sort out the team’s glut at the guard position over the course of the season,” he reported.

Rose hasn’t been playing as much as he’s been accustomed to earlier in his career, and there are some reasons for that. One such reason could be the fact he’s working his way back from injuries that caused him to miss much of last season.

Another could be that he is the odd man out in a guard-heavy roster, and that could be part of the reason Quickley is being shopped too. Moving both of them would open up room for Cam Reddish and Quentin Grimes to get heavier minutes, and it looks like the two of them will be key pieces for the Knicks going forward.

As for potential suitors for Rose, it appears we can cross the Dallas Mavericks off the list because they are acquiring former Knicks guard Kemba Walker. There are still plenty of other teams who could use Rose’s services, and that includes the Milwaukee Bucks.

Bucks Interested in Rose?

The Bucks are expected to be a title contender as long as Giannis Antetokounmpo is in town, so that means they’ll want as much talent as they can get on the roster.

This could mean Rose is a possibility, and an Eastern Conference executive speaking to Heavy Sports’ Sean Deveney believes the Bucks should be a team to watch out for after essentially ruling out a Bulls reunion.

“It’d be a great story if he could go back to Chicago but the Bulls don’t have the pieces,” the exec said. “Milwaukee would be a team to watch for him, though.”

Rose made his name with the Bulls, and became an MVP at 22 years old before injuries derailed his career. He’s essentially reinvented his game and become more reliant on crafty moves instead of explosive plays, and that’s allowed him to prolong his career into his 30s.

If a reunion with the Bulls isn’t in the cards, a bench role with the Bucks could be an option.

Acquiring Rose would give the team a big boost to their bench, and it’d give them a steady option off the second unit. He can also play along the starters and offer some playmaking if needed. Rose has started to develop a strong outside shot, so he can chip in with some threes as well.

Will a Trade Happen?

If Rose continues to sit on the bench without much playing time, a trade would make a lot of sense for both him and the Knicks.

The executive doesn’t believe it could lead to that considering how close coach Tom Thibodeau and Rose are, but he might want to find a place to win a championship before his career wraps up.

“He is always going to be the good soldier and he might not even want out of New York just because he and Thibs are so tight,” the exec said. “But he’s going to want to play at some point and he is going to want a chance to win.”