Getty Luka Doncic could get help from the Knicks.
The New York Knicks signed Jalen Brunson away from the Dallas Mavericks in the offseason, and they’ve been having trouble replacing his production.
Kemba Walker was brought in by the Mavs, but at this stage in his career it’s not known how much he has left in the tank. Knee issues have been bothering him for several seasons now, and he’s lost a lot of his explosiveness that he showed earlier in his career.
Somebody else who has lost his explosiveness is Derrick Rose, but he’s been able to usher in a second career of sorts where he relies more on his craftiness to get buckets.
With the arrival of Brunson, Rose hasn’t been seeing as much playing time as he’s been used to, and his talents might end up being better suited on another squad. According to Fox Sports’ Ric Bucher, the Mavericks have interest in adding him despite having already acquired a different former Knicks guard in Walker.
Rose Linked to the Mavericks
The Dallas Mavericks are expected to be a team who competes for the NBA championship, but they’ll need to find a bit more help for Luka Doncic.
Rose is somebody who fits that bill, and while he wouldn’t be somebody who slots into the starting lineup and plays 35-40 minutes a night, he can offer a lot of productivity off the bench.
“The Mavericks, of course, lost Brunson to the Knicks last summer and are in desperate need of a second playmaker to relieve All-Star point forward Luka Doncic,” reported Bucher. “They’ve brought on a former Knick, Kemba Walker, for a test run, but a league source said they also have interest in a current one, the aforementioned Rose.”
Doncic puts up huge numbers, and helped blow out the Knicks earlier in December, but he could use some more talent next to him if the Mavs want to get over the hump and win a championship.
Rose would fit that bill, but there will also have to be other moves made since adding an aging point guard doesn’t move the needle too much.
Rose to Mavs Could Have Legs
This isn’t the first time the former league MVP has been linked to the Mavericks as Heavy Sports’ Sean Deveney reported the same thing back in November.
“Dallas could make it happen, too, if they were willing to give up a first-round pick and use that (Davis) Bertans contract going to New York,” an NBA executive told Deveney.
This came before the team signed Walker, so the door seemed to be close on a trade happening, but Bucher reveals it’s still cracked open.
With Walker being an uncertainty and Rose being expendable in New York, there could be a sense that he could be acquired from the Knicks for cheap.
Also back in November, The Athletic’s Shams Charania reported both Rose and Immanuel Quickley could be available in a trade, so it shows the Knicks are willing to listen to offers for their players.
“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 wrote.