Knicks officially pick up Derrick Rose from Pistons

After a trade, Derrick Rose has rejoined Tom Thibodeau in New York.

The trade, which was widely reported over the weekend, sends Dennis Smith Jr. and a second-round pick to the Pistons and was made official on Monday morning.

.@nyknicks Acquire Derrick Rose pic.twitter.com/eqfBSOwGad

— NY_KnicksPR (@NY_KnicksPR) February 8, 2021

This trade brings Rose and Thibodeau back together, who were previously player and coach in Chicago. It was under Thibodeau’s coaching that Rose became the youngest MVP in NBA history at the age of 22 in 2011.

Rose spent a season in New York where he averaged 18 points in 2016-17, before teaming up with Thibodeau once more in Minnesota. He is currently in his second season with Detroit.

ESPN and The Athletic were the first to report the deal.

The Detroit Pistons are nearing agreement on deal to send Derrick Rose to the New York Knicks for Dennis Smith Jr. and draft compensation, sources tell me and @JLEdwardsIII.

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 7, 2021

Sources informed ESPN that Detroit has consented to a trade deal sending Derrick Rose to New York in exchange for Dennis Smith Jr. and a 2021 second-round pick from Charlotte. This move reunites Rose with his former coach Tom Thibodeau from his time in Chicago and Minnesota.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) February 7, 2021

Early in his career, Rose was one of the NBA’s most dynamic players, guiding Thibodeau’s defensively-focused teams to the highest league record. However, a string of knee injuries ensued and neither Rose nor the Bulls were able to replicate that initial success.

Rose still proves to be a productive player, averaging roughly 18 points as a reserve in the past two seasons. In the current season, he has scored an average of 14.2 points in 15 games.

Most importantly, he is acquainted with Thibodeau, who could benefit from additional scoring power in his debut season in New York.

“Like me, he’s someone who has been around the system,” said Knicks forward Taj Gibson, who also had stints in Chicago and Minnesota. “We have a good understanding of what Thibs essentially expects,” he added.

Elfrid Payton starts as the point guard for the Knicks, while their first-round pick, Immanuel Quickley, has made impressive performances from the bench.

How might Derrick Rose be able to help the Knicks this season?

Smith, a past top-10 pick, was unable to make a significant contribution in New York following his acquisition from Dallas in the Kristaps Porzingis trade just over two years ago. He was not included in Thibodeau’s lineup and intended to play for the Knicks’ G League affiliate to gain some game experience. However, he departs after averaging a mere 8.7 points over 58 games.

The Pistons’ total overhaul of last season’s roster continues with this deal, having already let go of players like Andre Drummond, Luke Kennard, Reggie Jackson and Christian Wood.

Rose provided a boost for the Pistons in the previous season, but wasn’t very beneficial to a team in reconstruction this season. His scoring numbers and playing time decreased as Detroit shifted its focus to rookie point guard Killian Hayes, until he got injured. Delon Wright also made steady contributions in the same position.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.