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Adding Jalen Brunson at point guard hasn’t been enough for the New York Knicks to get over the hump and become a surefire playoff team in the deep Eastern Conference.
They have shown they have enough talent to compete for a play-in spot, but the same could’ve been said of last year’s squad as well, and this roster looks to be an upgrade over that one.
At 11-13, it seems like the Knicks are destined for another year of mediocrity, and perhaps a change is needed to give the team a jump. There are players out there who could help the Knicks out, but it seems like New York is more interested in shrinking their roster instead of adding to it.
The Athletic’s Fred Katz reports the team is taking calls on Derrick Rose, Immanuel Quickley, Evan Fournier and Cam Reddish.
In the case of Rose and Fournier, both are seeing heavily diminished playing time, so it makes sense. Reddish and Quickley are both young players, and in Quickley’s case, somebody who actually plays big minutes for the squad.
Rose is hardly playing for the Knicks, but trading him will be easier said than done. While he’s been a productive players for several seasons, he’s also 34 years old and coming off a year where he was injured for most of it. That has given teams some pause, and it might mean the Knicks have to hang onto him.
Rose Might Be Tough to Move
Something Rose can still provide to a team is veteran leadership, but that might not be enough to warrant giving up assets for. The only thing working in other teams’ favor is the fact that he can likely be had for cheap considering he’s hardly playing and getting up there in age.
Katz reports that teams around the league have seen the decline, and they are wary about adding him onto their roster.
“Rose, who is on an expiring contract, still has fireball moments, but they’ve been sparser than ever this season, and the league has taken notice,” he reported. “His playing time is down, as is his production, and at 34 years old, teams are generally worried about his burst and injury history.”
To be fair, Rose has had his fair of injuries over the years, but he’s been relatively healthy as of late until they caught up to him last season.
Rose is far from the high-flyer he was in his Chicago days, but he’s shown he can still get baskets and run the offense from the bench.
Best Case Scenario?
If Rose falls out of the rotation, then getting something back for him, even if it’s a very late draft pick could be more beneficial than just keeping him and then losing him for nothing in free agency.
A couple seasons ago, Rose would’ve been more lucrative, but it seems like those days are behind him. However, Kemba Walker was able to find work again, so it’s not like Rose couldn’t do the same. It would likely have to come in free agency instead of via a trade where another team has to give up valuable assets.
As it stands right now, it seems like the Knicks will continue looking for options to move the former MVP, but it could prove to be difficult. There are a variety of teams that still make sense for the guard, including the same Dallas Mavericks who signed Kemba Walker, but we’ll just have to wait and see.
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