Jeff Chiu / Associated Press
In 2011, 22-year-old Derrick Rose was named the youngest MVP in NBA history after averaging 25.0 points and 7.7 assists for the 62-20 Chicago Bulls.
Despite a spate of injuries in the years following the campaign, it appears that his 2010-11 coach, Tom Thibodeau, was always in his corner. And after a Super Bowl Sunday trade that sent Rose to the New York Knicks, the two will be united for the third time in their careers.
ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski shared the details of the agreement between the Knicks and Detroit Pistons:
A decade after the MVP career, Rose is obviously not the player he was then, but his production over the past few seasons may be closer to peak levels than you might think.
No, the advanced numbers are not quite where it was at the top of Rose, but he hit from the other side of his injuries and again had a positive impact on the player. And for a Knicks group, it’s approach to help the playoffs as expected, he must help, especially given what it cost to get him.
Of course, Rose and the Knicks are not the only participants in this trade. There are other winners and a potential loser, all of whom can be found below.
Winner: Knicks
Rick Bowmer / Associated Press
Dennis Smith Jr., the No. 9 pick of the 2017 draft, has appeared in just three games this season. In 2019-20, he made 34 appearances and scored an average of 5.5 points with a true 39.9 true shooting percentage.
Other than a great career turnaround, DSJ New York will not be helping to compete for a playoff spot this season. So it’s a clear win to replace him with Rose.
Of course, there is an argument that the Knicks should appreciate draft capital a bit more in this phase of team building, but a second player is still far from certain. And there is still a lot of young talent on the roster that needs development, including RJ Barrett, Immanuel Quickley, Frank Ntilikina, Kevin Knox II, Obi Toppin and Mitchell Robinson.
In the short term, Rose needs to help bolster the rush for the season (or at least make an appearance in the playoffs). And his veteran-skilled can help the young people.
Prior to this season, he indicated he wanted to mentor young Pistons guard Killian Hayes:
A similar attitude towards the aforementioned Knicks could pay dividends in the end.
Loser: Killian Hayes
Carlos Osorio / Associated Press
The loss of the mentor is certainly not a death knell for Hayes’ development, and Smith may be closer to salary cap as a piece of Detroit’s future, but a young (ish) point guard with lottery is more competition than Rose was. .
The veteran has made it clear that he does not want to compete with Hayes:
Smith, on the other hand, must feel a sense of desperation. This is the last season of his rookie contract. If he continues to loot like he was last season-plus, it could seriously jeopardize his chances at another contract. His career could depend on taking a few minutes from Hayes (if he accepts returning from a labral tear this season).
Of course, there is a way to turn it around positively. Being pressured can be a good thing for Hayes. He only played in seven games, but they could not (at least statistically) have gone much worse.
Among the 399 rookies since 1984-85 who played at least as many minutes as Hayes in their first seven games, Hayes’ boxing is plus / minus ranks 399th.
He averaged 4.6 points and 3.6 assists in 21.1 minutes while shooting 27.7 percent from the field and 25.0 percent from three.
A little pressure from another guard could drive Hayes to work harder off the floor to get his rookie season on track.
Winner: Derrick Rose
Charles Rex Arbogast / Associated Press
As Rose approached his mid-thirties, playing for one of the worst teams in the league certainly generated little interest. The Knicks are nowhere near the title, but they have at least a fair chance of the playoffs.
This is a clear situational upgrade for Rose.
Working with Thibodeau must also appeal to the veteran. Over the years, he has expressed his faith in Rose as a player through word and deed.
In their third game together, they could help one of the league’s most equipped concessions return to the national season for the first time since 2013 and prepare the prospects for long and successful careers.
Winners: Detroit Pistons
Tony Dejak / Associated Press
There are some highlights in this Pistons season. The most important among them is the outbreak of Jerami Grant as a number 1 option. Few people would argue that here, however, is very short-term hope. They have the worst record in the league and almost no hold on the playoffs.
So it was no problem to download Rose’s expiring contract for a kite on Smith and any draft assets. The fact that Detroit got a second player probably means a first was not available elsewhere.
Again, this choice is not very valuable. Anything from the concept brings uncertainty. But Detroit needs to be very strong in asset accumulation mode. It needs as much bite to the apple as possible.
Grant turns 27 in March. Between Hayes, Sekou Doumbouya and Saddiq Bey, there is apparently no single player in the rankings who is likely to become a superstar. Detroit needs as many chances as possible to find that kind of talent.
Usually, NBA transactions give us much more potential “losers” to describe in a format like this, but this particular transaction does not pose much risk anyway.
Injuries or old age can prevent Rose from having a major impact in New York. If the playoffs extend beyond reach, the front office might look back on this deal and wish he still had the choice to relinquish it. However, it is not as if the Knicks at first gave an unprotected price.
The potential benefit of bringing excitement and meaningful basketball to the fan base in the late season is well worth the price.
For Detroit, there was really nothing to lose. Rose is not part of the long-term plans. It’s better than losing him for free.