What’s New York Knicks Next Move After Derrick Rose Deal?

Following the acquisition of Derrick Rose, there is a renewed optimism for New York Knicks basketball. But, executing the next step will be just as important as the last.

It’s easy to be a pessimistic New York Knicks fan and look at the negatives of this blockbuster trade.

How it creates a massive hole at the center position. How point guard Derrick Rose may never be the same player who once went to three straight All-Star games.

Related Story: New York Knicks: Derrick Rose Brings Short-Term Gain, Long-Term Burden

But for the second time in consecutive seasons, the Knicks are being talked about in a positive light following the trade that brought the youngest MVP in league history, Rose, to Madison Square Garden.

It all started when forward Kritaps Porzingis proved he was worthy of being selected with the No. 4 overall pick in last year’s draft. Heck, the kid should have gone second!

Contrary to the fact that the Derek Fisher hire was a huge disaster, team president Phil Jackson continues to intrigue Knicks nation to the point of hope and possibility.

Somehow, he was able to package a good but not spectacular center in Robin Lopez, a young point guard in Jerian Grant and the albatross known as guard Jose Calderon for the No. 1 overall pick in the 2008 draft, second-year guard Justin Holiday, and a second round pick in the 2017 draft.

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Optimistic fans will agree that this deal is a low-risk, high-reward type gamble. And it’s only a gamble because Lopez played very good defense and signed a team-friendly four-year, $55 million deal last offseason, per spotrac.com.

If Rose can go back to averaging, say, 17-19 points per game, four to six assists and finish at least 65-70 games, then where did Phil Jackson go wrong?

He gets a full season’s view of the original Russell Westbrook. If for some miraculous reason, Rose shines like it’s 2012 all over again, the Knicks have the advantage of re-signing him for more money than any other team can offer.

On the other hand, if Rose simply doesn’t have it anymore, the team can cut their losses because Rose is playing on an expiring deal. According to spotrac.com, it’s a contract, coming off the books, that will open up $21.3 million in cap space for the summer of 2017 when Westbrook, as mentioned above, becomes a free agent.

So where do Jackson and the Knicks go from here?

They need to address that open center position. Reports circulated before the winds of the Rose deal blew, that center Dwight Howard had the Knicks on his list of potential teams he’d like to play for in the near future, per ESPN’s Ian Begley:

Say what you will about Howard and his diva-like behavior, or the fact that he tends to get under his teammates’ skin, the Knicks need someone other than Porzingis to play defense.

There is no way the Knicks should give Howard a max contract, but he’ll likely want more than the $23 million that he left on the table in Houston.

Would I give him the same amount the team bestowed upon Lopez last summer? Sure. It’s another gamble, one I’m sure would be a predominantly unpopular signing, but then again so would bringing in Joakim Noah.

Sure, Noah would be a lot cheaper, and maybe you could get him on a two-year deal with a player opt in on the second, but it’s hard to say what any of these guys want.

Is it about the cash or the chance to play for titles? I tend to go with the cash perspective. Furthermore, we have no idea how many more pieces the Knicks need to become legitimate contenders.

Some have said that Porzingis’ best position will one day be the center spot because of his defensive prowess. By moving him, you take away his mid-range shot and developing outside game.

Of course, you could always move Carmelo Anthony to the 4-spot, and sign I don’t know… Kevin Durant with the $30 million remaining.

Not possible?

Then how about putting center Al Horford down low and picking up guard Dwayne Wade on a team-friendly 1-and-1 type deal? It sure would piss off LeBron James, that two of his super friends would join forces. More than that, it gives the Knicks the all-around shooting guard they’ve lacked since Allan Houston.

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Besides, we’ve already seen Wade take a back seat offensively and contractually when it’s in the best interest of his team.

Regardless of what transpires between now and the start of training camp, I for one am glad Jackson is doing everything he can to make Knicks basketball relevant again. He’s paid to make moves, transactions that aren’t costing the team a first-round draft pick.

Let’s just see if the puppetmaster can continue to set up the Knicks for future success. And while he’s at it, how about getting this team prepared for a winning season and playoff appearance in 2017.