Although the Detroit Pistons appear to be shopping point guard Derrick Rose to other teams in the lead-up to next Thursday’s trade deadline, the latest rumors suggest that the team doesn’t want to give him up for anything less than a high first-round draft pick.
In an article that quoted Shams Charania’s most recent column for The Athletic , Bleacher Report wrote that the Pistons are purportedly asking for a “lottery-level” draft selection as they try to find a trade partner for Rose ahead of the upcoming deadline. While he has mostly been used off the bench in Detroit, the 2011 NBA MVP has emerged as one of the leading candidates for Sixth Man of the Year this season, averaging 18.9 points and six assists and shooting a career-best 49.8 percent from the field.
Despite Rose’s stellar performance in a reserve role, meeting the Pistons’ supposed trade demands might be difficult for most teams, as further noted. So far, most of the teams that have reportedly shown interest in the three-time All-Star are “title hopefuls” hoping to bolster their bench corps, thus making it highly unlikely they’d have any high draft picks to surrender. It was also suggested that such a selection might still be too high of a price for “middling” teams that could afford to take on Rose’s $7.7 million contract for the 2020-21 season.
Talking about plausible trade destinations in the light of the new rumors, Bleacher Report explored the possibility of reuniting Rose with the Chicago Bulls — the same team that picked him No. 1 overall in the 2008 NBA Draft. While the veteran point guard is a Chicago native who could satisfy a need for the organization, the outlet cautioned that he might be a risky acquisition for the rebuilding Bulls, as they have numerous young players that “need the ball in their hands to be effective.”
Although the team’s Western Conference-leading 36-11 record takes them out of the “lottery-level” pick discussion, the Los Angeles Lakers have frequently been rumored to be interested in swinging a deal for Rose. Recent reports, however, suggested that the team rejected an offer that would have sent him to Los Angeles, due to their apparent reluctance to part ways with backup point guard Alex Caruso.
In addition to the Lakers, the Philadelphia 76ers (31-18, sixth in Eastern Conference) are also among Rose’s rumored suitors, though it was suggested last month that the team could acquire the ex-MVP for two reserve players (Zhaire Smith and Jonah Bolden) and a future second-round draft pick.