Derrick Rose was once the league’s biggest phenom. He was so good the league basically created a mechanism that would throw transcendent talents like him even more than the most money possible. He was going to get a statue next to Jordan’s. He was going to lead the next Bulls resurgence.
Then… his body broke in half.
Now, the shell of Derrick Rose is going to be a Knick, in a trade that essentially sends the Bulls scraps.
In a stunning pre-draft move, the Knicks acquired the former MVP from the Bulls along with guard Justin Holiday and a 2017 second-round pick, according to multiple reports. The Knicks are sending Robin Lopez, Jerian Grant and Jose Calderon back to Chicago in the deal.
Rose was once one of the top few players in the league before tearing his ACL in the 2012 postseason. The 27-year-old has suffered multiple leg injuries, limiting him to 127 games over his past three seasons.
Lopez is solid. Grant can’t shoot, and Calderon needs to retire. That’s what Rose is worth these days.
The bigger question for Chicago, and Boston, is whether this now solidifies Jimmy Butler as “the man” in Chicago, or if this is the beginning of a fire sale that will plunge the Bulls to the bottom of the tank so they can start over again. If it’s the latter, the Celtics will have a shot to get Butler with their cache of picks. So will Philly. So will Phoenix. Atlanta’s also shopping a couple of first-round picks thanks to trading Jeff Teague today.
So keep an ear out for what Chicago might be planning. This trade moves Butler firmly into one side of this equation… we just don’t know which side yet.
Meanwhile, the Knicks just keep on Knick-ing. The addition Rose’s ghost might move the meter for the less-than-knowledgeable “look at me in my courtside seats” set, but it doesn’t do much for making them any better. And even if Rose DOES play well and somehow resurrect his career, he’s a free agent next summer. The Knicks only got a second round pick out of this deal and there’s still a question of how this will affect their true future star, Kristaps Porzingis.
It does nothing to get New York any closer to a good draft pick. It does nothing to get them closer to being a contender. They’re just… being the Knicks.
Anyway… the trade floodgates are opening. Get ready for a flurry of activity.
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