NBA Rumors: Clippers Could Get Derrick Rose To Form Big Three With Leonard & George, Per ‘Bleacher Report’
According to a recent list of blockbuster trade ideas from Bleacher Report, the Los Angeles Clippers could form a “big three” by acquiring Derrick Rose from the Detroit Pistons and having him team with superstar forwards Kawhi Leonard and Paul George.
As explained by the publication on Wednesday, the Clippers made a lot of moves during the offseason but failed to make an upgrade at point guard, as Leonard reportedly requested in the weeks leading up to the 2020-21 season. As a result, the team “needs more zip” in its half-court offense, even with the acquisitions of Serge Ibaka — a big man with a good shot from outside — and Luke Kennard and Nicolas Batum, who were described as “complementary” playmakers.
Although the Pistons have yet to make Rose available on the trade market, the site speculated that he may be shopped around by Detroit prior to the March deadline, given how the organization is currently in the middle of a significant rebuild and had recently drafted Killian Hayes as their point guard of the future.
“Land Rose, and the Clippers would become less reliant on Kawhi Leonard and Paul George to make magic in the half court. Rose could draw defenders away from L.A.’s stars and either finish plays on his own or create easier scoring opportunities for his new teammates. In turn, the Clippers could mask the defensive deficiencies of a 32-year-old who was never the stingiest stopper.”
As shown on his Basketball-Reference page, Rose played a sixth-man role for Detroit in the 2019-20 campaign but still produced starting-caliber numbers, averaging 18.1 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 5.6 assists. While he shot an accurate 49 percent from the field, his lack of three-point shooting was evident as he converted just 30.6 percent of his attempts from long range.
Given how Leonard is expected to decline his player option in the summer of 2021, thus making him a free agent, Bleacher Report stressed that the Clippers need to make the right moves so that they could convince the former Defensive Player of the Year to opt into the final year of his contract. As such, the outlet stressed that the organization needs to add another star player in order to improve its odds of winning a championship.
Although Bleacher Report did not propose any trade ideas for Rose, previous reports have suggested various packages that could allow the Clippers to land the 2010-11 NBA MVP. These include a hypothetical deal that would send three-time Sixth Man of the Year winner Lou Williams to the Pistons.
