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There are so many rumors swirling about Derrick Rose leaving the Chicago Bulls and being traded to another team this offseason. Some rumors have him being sent to the Sacramento Kings . Other rumors have the Bulls trading him over to the Indiana Pacers for George Hill. Now, there are rumors that one particular trade scenario from last year and again a few months ago could pop up once more and it would send Rose to the Los Angeles Lakers.
Out in California, the L.A. Lakers need some kind of jolt that is going to help rejuvenate a franchise coming off its worst season in history. While there is a lot of work that needs to be done, it’s also important to get the support and love of the fans back. That’s exactly what could be done by acquiring Derrick Rose.
According to Yibida , it’s not totally impossible to think that the Bulls and Lakers could exchange point guards this summer. Yes, that would mean Rose heading to Los Angeles and second-year guard D’Angelo Russell heading up to Chicago.
Russell didn’t quite live up to expectations in his first season with the Lakers, and that already let the coaching staff down. There were many times he was relegated to the bench as he simply couldn’t hold his own on the court, and that was very disappointing for a lot of people.
Making matters worse was the conversation taping incident with Nick Young. That really made a bad situation into a horrible one for D’Angelo Russell, and it caused him to lose the trust and confidence of his teammates.
Russell may not have been the heir apparent to a retiring Kobe Bryant, but the Lakers were looking to put a lot of responsibility and hope on his shoulders. His underperforming on the court and his actions off the court have really caused many to lose faith in him and that’s why he needs to start over again somewhere else.
In 2015, Russell averaged 13.2 points, 3.3 assists, and 3.4 rebounds-per-game for the Lakers. Derrick Rose’s numbers were a bit higher than that last season, but a player of his caliber would mean the Lakers having to send something more to Chicago in order to make the trade.
That pretty much means that the Lakers would have to part with the second overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft, and that could be the kicker. Los Angeles would have to decide if the acquisition of Derrick Rose is better than drafting Benjamin Simmons out of LSU or Brandon Ingram of Duke.
Last year, Lakers Nation did report that the Chicago Bulls would trade away Derrick Rose if the right deal came along.
Rose’s knee problems are going to follow him throughout the rest of his career, and the Bulls may finally have grown tired of them. It’s believed by some that Rose’s best years are in the past and he will never be the explosive player he was before the multiple injuries.
Still, the Lakers could likely take a chance on him if the trade works out for everyone involved as far as both teams go. D’Angelo Russell would be a necessary part of the trade, but the Lakers may try to add another player such as Julius Randle and see if they can retain the second overall pick.
Derrick Rose being traded to the L.A. Laker is not something that can be considered a definite thing, but the Chicago Bulls can’t help but be intrigued by the scenario. Getting a healthy, young guard like D’Angelo Russell would not only help the Bulls, but it would also give him a fresh start somewhere that would let him have a clean slate with his teammates and coaches. Throw in that second overall draft pick, and the Bulls may find it too good a deal to pass up.
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