Jeff Chiu / Associated Press
In 2011, Derrick Rose, 22, was voted the youngest MVP in NBA history, after averaging 25.0 points and 7.7 assists for the Chicago Bulls from 62 to 20.
Despite a series of injuries in the years following that campaign, his 2010-11 coach Tom Thibodeau always seemed to be at his side. And following a Sunday Super Bowl deal that sends Rose to the New York Knicks, the two will be joined for the third time in their careers.
ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski shared the details of the Knicks-Detroit Pistons deal:
A decade after that MVP race, Rose is obviously not the player she was then, but her production over the past few seasons may be closer to peak levels than you think.
No, the advanced numbers are not exactly where they were at Rose’s peak, but he emerged from the other side of his injury problems to once again be a positive impact player. And for a Knicks team that is closer for containment of the playoff than expected, it should help, especially considering what was necessary to catch it.
Of course, Rose and the Knicks are not the only participants in this trade. There are other winners and a potential loser, all of which can be found below.
Winner: Knicks
Rick Bowmer / Associated Press
Dennis Smith Jr., the ninth pick of the 2017 draft, appeared in just three games this season. In 2019-20, he made 34 appearances and averaged 5.5 points with a true shot percentage of 39.9 truly pitiful.
Except for a miraculous career turnaround, DSJ would not help New York compete for a playoff spot this season. So replacing him with Rose is a clear victory.
Of course, there is an argument that the Knicks should value the draft capital a little more at this stage of team building, but a runoff is far from certain. And there are still many young talents on the list who need development, including RJ Barrett, Immanuel Quickley, Frank Ntilikina, Kevin Knox II, Obi Toppin and Mitchell Robinson.
In the short term, Rose is expected to help solidify the postseason chase (or at least an appearance in the play-in tournament). And his veteran knowledge could help younger people.
Prior to this season, he signaled his desire to mentor young Pistons guard Killian Hayes:
A similar attitude towards the Knicks mentioned earlier may pay dividends in the future.
Loser: Killian Hayes
Carlos Osorio / Associated Press
Losing that mentor is certainly not a coup de grace for Hayes’s development, and Smith may be closer to earning wages than a piece of Detroit’s future, but a young lottery pedigree owner is more competitive than Rose.
The veteran made it clear that he did not want to compete with Hayes:
Smith, on the other hand, must have a sense of despair. This is the last season of his debut contract. Continuing to fumble like last season can seriously compromise your chances of getting another contract. His career may depend on taking a few minutes off Hayes (assuming he returns from a lip injury this season).
Of course, there is a way to turn this around positively. Being pushed can be a good thing for Hayes. He only played in seven games, but they couldn’t have been much worse (at least statistically).
Among the 399 newbies since 1984-85 who played at least as many minutes as Hayes in his first seven games, Hayes’ box plus / minus ratings 399th.
He averaged 4.6 points and 3.6 assists in 21.1 minutes, while shooting 27.7 percent of the field and 25.0 percent in three.
A little pressure from another guard could lead Hayes to work harder to get his debut season back on track.
Winner: Derrick Rose
Charles Rex Arbogast / Associated Press
As Rose approaches her 30s, playing for one of the league’s worst teams certainly generated little interest. The Knicks are nowhere near the title race, but at least they have a reasonable chance of making it to the playoffs.
This is an obvious situational update for Rose.
Working with Thibodeau should also appeal to the veteran. Over the years, he expressed his belief in Rose as a player by words and deeds.
In their third pass together, they can help one of the league’s most famous franchises return to the postseason for the first time since 2013 and prepare their prospects for long and successful careers.
Winner: Detroit Pistons
Tony Dejak / Associated Press
There are some good points in this piston season. The main one is the escape of Jerami Grant as option number one. Few would say that there is much short-term hope here, however. They have the worst league history and almost no chance in the playoffs.
So unloading the expiring contract at Rose to an airman in Smith and any draft assets was a no-brainer. Detroit’s second round probably means that a first round was not available elsewhere.
Again, this choice is not very valuable. Anything in the draft brings uncertainty. But Detroit must be firmly in the mode of asset accumulation. You need as many bites on the apple, so to speak, as possible.
Grant turns 27 in March. Between Hayes, Sekou Doumbouya and Saddiq Bey, there doesn’t seem to be a single player on the list who is likely to become a superstar. Detroit needs as many chances as possible to find that kind of talent.
Typically, NBA trades give us a lot more potential “losers” to drill down to in a format like this, but that particular trades don’t involve much risk anyway.
Injury or age can prevent Rose from making a big impact in New York. If the playoff hunt is out of reach at the end of the stretch, the board may look back and wish they still had the choice that was abandoned. It’s not like the Knicks have given up without protection first.
The potential advantage of bringing some excitement and meaningful basketball at the end of the season to the fan base is well worth that price.
For Detroit, there was really nothing to lose. Rose is not part of long-term plans. This is better than losing it for nothing at the free agency.