NBA Rumors: LA Lakers Could Trade JaVale McGee, Quinn Cook, And Draft Pick For Derrick Rose
The Los Angeles Lakers may have successfully reached the NBA Finals this season, but they are still expected to continue to find ways to upgrade their roster in the 2020 offseason. Like other contenders, the team still has issues to address, including their need for another shot creator and playmaker. In the past months, they have been linked to several players who are expected to be available on the trading block this fall, including veteran point guard Derrick Rose of the Detroit Pistons.
Rose may not have shown any strong indication that he’s no longer happy in Detroit, but with the team heading into a rebuild, he’s clearly an odd fit on their roster. Instead of letting him walk away in the 2021 free agency without getting anything in return, the Pistons should consider trading his expiring contract for assets that could help them speed up the rebuilding process. According to Jonathan Kiernan of FanSided’s Lake Show Life, the Lakers could offer a package that includes JaVale McGee, Quinn Cook, and a 2020 first-round pick to the Pistons in exchange for Rose.
“Rose would be the starting point guard for the Los Angeles Lakers and while he is a former MVP, expectations will be curtailed as he won’t need to be the focal point of the team anymore, he will be a contributor who will help the Lakers immensely. Rose offers the Lakers the ideal point guard. He can score in bunches, he can assist at a good level for when LeBron James is off the floor and he can play a role that allows for Anthony Davis and LeBron James to continue to dominate without getting in their way.”
Rose and LeBron James’ lone season of playing together in Cleveland may have been a disaster, but it doesn’t necessarily mean the same thing would happen if they team up again in Los Angeles. Since he parted ways with James, Rose has shown a massive improvement with his health and overall performance. He didn’t only return from being a reliable scoring option, but he also managed to unlock his three-point shooting skills.
This season, the 31-year-old former MVP averaged 18.1 points and 5.6 assists while shooting 49.0 percent from the field and 30.6 percent from beyond the arc, per ESPN. Rose’s potential arrival in Los Angeles would immediately address the Lakers’ need for another shot creator and playmaker. If he manages to remain in perfect shape, he’s definitely capable of serving as their new starting point guard in the 2020-21 NBA season.
Being traded to the Lakers would also be beneficial for Rose. Unlike in Detroit, reuniting with James in Los Angeles would give him a realistic chance of winning his first championship next year.
