NBA Rumors: Knicks’ Derrick Rose Headed To Bucks In NBA Free Agency?

With the NBA season over halfway completed, there are NBA rumors swirling about various players and where they may end up playing next season. While there are some teams still fighting for a possible playoff spot, others seem destined for the NBA draft and rebuilding. One of those teams may be the troubled New York Knicks, who have a good bit of talent, but just don’t have the necessary recipe for success. There are now NBA rumors suggesting that former NBA MVP Derrick Rose may be parting ways with NYC and headed to Eastern Conference contender, the Milwaukee Bucks.

As ESPN reported a few days ago, Rose will officially become an unrestricted free agent on July 1, 2017. The rumors are suggesting that the former Chicago Bulls point guard could sign with the Milwaukee Bucks since it’s a location close to his home area of Chicago, and the Bucks also have Jason Kidd as their coach. Rose is said to be “a huge fan” of Kidd, and watched him play when he was in college. For the Bucks, adding Rose could be an upgrade to their current roster in the starting point guard position.

As it stands, Milwaukee has promising young rookie Malcolm Brogdon and veteran Matthew Dellavedova in the point guard spot. Brogdon is averaging 9.9 points, four assists, and 2.7 rebounds a game in his rookie campaign, and is considered among the top NBA Rookie of the Year candidates behind Joel Embiid and Dario Saric. Dellavedova has averages of 7.6 points, 5.1 assists, and nearly two rebounds a game, which are all above his career numbers. He was also a member of the Cavs for his first three seasons, including last season’s championship run, giving him valuable experience.

As ESPN mentions, Rose is making $21.3 million for the latest season, but will probably end up taking a pay cut once he hits free agency. The Bucks are considered “an over the cap team” as of July, so they’d be able to offer $8.4 million under the non-taxpayer, mid-level exception. However, Rose may see this team as an opportunity to compete in the playoffs with their improving roster.

As of this report, the Milwaukee Bucks have taken over the No. 8 spot in the Eastern Conference with a 31-33 record. That has the Chicago Bulls on the outside looking in, while the Knicks, are 26-40, and nearly out of contention for the postseason. Milwaukee is comprised of a number of talented players, including this year’s first-time All-Star Giannis Antetokounmpo, also known as “The Greek Freak.” Antetokounmpo leads the team in pretty much every statistical category. Rose may decide to join forces with this dynamic young star, who is improving with each season he gets onto the court.

In addition to Antetokounmpo, the Bucks have the aforementioned Malcolm Brogdon, and also former No. 2 NBA draft pick Jabari Parker out of Duke. Parker has yet to fully develop and was touted as a future star in the league. As of the current season, he ranks second on the team in scoring and third in rebounding, showing just how much rising talent this team possesses.

As Fox Sports reported, Rose and the Knicks took on the Bucks this past Thursday, with Milwaukee getting the best of New York, 104-93. Antetokounmpo had a game-high 32 points, showing his All-Star selection this year was probably the first of many to come. Rose led his team with 26 points, 20 of which came in the second half, so this quite possibly could have been an audition for a future gig with the Bucks.

Get ready for tonight's game with 5 minutes of highlights from our 5 consecutive wins!! #OwnTheFuture pic.twitter.com/LGpcS0Bw4g

— Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) March 11, 2017

Derrick Rose is 28-years-old and the story of his career is well-documented. He’s suffered several bad injury setbacks over the course of his NBA history, which have diminished his athleticism somewhat. However, he’s still shown those flashes of brilliance as a member of the New York Knicks. The problem is the Knicks are a team that has had trouble getting set in the right direction. They made that attempt to have a successful season by surrounding Carmelo Anthony with Derrick Rose and Joacim Noah, along with other new players, but once again it just wasn’t the answer.

It won’t be surprising when the Knicks decide to go back to the drawing board through the NBA draft and free agent signings. It also won’t be surprising when Derrick Rose decides to find a new place to call home for the upcoming NBA season, as star players want to win rather than keep waiting as a team tries to rebuild.

[Featured Image by Christian Petersen/Getty Images]