SPANISH HARLEM, NY – Today is the NBA trading deadline and most fans will be interested to see who may or may not be moved. The news around the New York Knicks has mostly centered on Carmelo Anthony but a new name has been brought up in the news lately and that is Derrick Rose.
On Tuesday, the media leaked a potential interest from the Minnesota Timberwolves about possibly acquiring Rose. Everyone knows by now that Rose played some of his best ball for Tom Thibodeau in Chicago and many are not surprised that Thibs is showing interest in a potential reunion. It doesn’t look like the Knicks will bring back Rose for next season, so it would be in the team’s best interest to see what is out there. Remember, no team wants to lose an asset for nothing, so it will be interesting to see what they see as more valuable -more cap space or a player they can build around.
The player being mentioned in a potential swap with the Timberwolves is Ricky Rubio, who has supposedly fallen out of favor with Coach Thibs. If this is true it would mean the Knicks are looking for a point guard they can build around, as he has two years on his contract. That’s at an average of 14 million per season, for the next two years. I’m not sure what to make of this because Rubio is a bad shooter but gifted passer, and many pundits think he would fit better on a team with scorers like Melo and Kristaps Porzingis. Take into account that Willy Hernangomez is also accustomed to the Spanish Team style of basketball that made Rubio famous, and you have the potential for some good chemistry on offense going forward. Will Rubio make the Knicks better? That’s a good question to ask but one that’s very hard to answer.
The one thing that intrigues me about Derrick Rose’s contract is the amount cap relief (more than 21 million) you receive if you decide to let him go as a free agent. Most New York fans know the Knickerbockers haven’t had many opportunities to bring in free agents because of past failures dealing with the NBA cap. To make matters worse, having cap space doesn’t guarantee you will get the free agent you want (remember LeBron James?). The pool of upcoming free agent point guards got slimmer with news of Chris Paul verbally agreeing to a contract with the Clippers. And Kyle Lowry is looking for a similar pay day from the Raptors. With the CBA’s new rules in place to protect franchises’ from losing key players, it will make it even more difficult for teams like the Knicks to bring in great players.
With all the dysfunction surrounding the season, I don’t see any major free agent point guard – or any one for that matter – coming to New York. My opinion: roll the dice and trade Rose if you can get Rubio. Although it’s nice to have cap space, it will suck even more if you are not able to sign a replacement.
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