NBA Rumors: Pistons Could Send Derrick Rose To LA Lakers For Kyle Kuzma And Quinn Cook, Per ‘Bleacher Report’
As they continue to struggle in the 2019-20 NBA season, rumors surrounding former MVP Derrick Rose and his future with the Detroit Pistons have started to heat up. With one of their best players, Blake Griffin, set to miss the remainder of the season due to injury, the Pistons are expected to become active sellers before the 2020 February NBA trade deadline. As of now, one of the NBA teams who is currently being linked to Rose is the Los Angeles Lakers.
Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports recently reported that the Lakers are among the “multiple teams with championship aspirations” that expressed interest in acquiring Rose from the Pistons. The Lakers may currently own the best record in the Western Conference, but they still have plenty of issues on their roster, including their need for point guard assistance. Though his brief time with LeBron James on the Cleveland Cavaliers was a disaster, Andy Bailey of Bleacher Report believes that trading for Rose makes a lot of sense for the Lakers.
“Things are different now. Like Grant Hill, Rose may have needed more time to fully recover from his injuries than others do. Or, perhaps he’s finally adjusted to playing with the level of athleticism he now possesses, as opposed to what he had as a 22-year-old MVP. Either way, it’s easy to see how this version of Rose could fit with the Lakers. This season, L.A. is plus-11.3 points per 100 possessions with LeBron on the floor and minus-0.2 with him off. The team has a desperate need for playmaking when the King is on the bench, and Rose could provide that.”
Pistons’ Rose is undeniably different from the man who played for the Cavaliers in the 2017-18 NBA season. Unlike the first time he shared the court with James, the 31-year-old point guard is in much better shape and currently posting incredible numbers in the 2019-20 NBA season. In the 38 games he played with the Pistons, Rose is averaging 18.4 points and 5.8 assists while shooting 49.8 percent from the field and 31.3 percent from beyond the arc. If he manages to remain healthy throughout the season, Rose would definitely be a huge help for the Lakers, especially when the real battle begins in the 2020 NBA Playoffs.
To acquire Rose, Bailey suggested the Lakers could offer a trade package including Kyle Kuzma and Quinn Cook to the Pistons. The proposed trade deal works on ESPN‘s NBA Trade Machine. If the trade pushes through, it would not only be beneficial for the Lakers, but also for the Pistons.
In exchange for Rose, the Pistons would be acquiring a young and promising talent in Kuzma. Kuzma may have failed to live up to expectations as the Lakers’ third superstar, but being in a new environment where he could potentially receive a more significant role could help him return to the path of becoming a legitimate NBA superstar in the league.
