New York Knicks rumors: The Minnesota Timberwolves are reportedly one of a number of teams to inquire about point guard Derrick Rose.
MostNew York Knicksrumors this season have revolved aroundCarmelo Anthony. But, Anthony possesses a full no-trade clause, so unless he wants to leave he will be staying put no matter how hardPhil Jacksontries. If the Knicks are going to make a move prior to Thursday’s trade deadline, it will more than likely involved other players.
One player to keep an eye on is point guardDerrick Rose. The Knicks acquired Rose along withJustin Holidayin an offseason trade with the Chicago Bulls. The move was expected to push the Knicks up the Eastern Conference pecking order; instead the Knicks are 23-34 and four games out of eighth place in the Eastern Conference.
That puts the Knicks in an awkward position. Do they push forward at the deadline looking to add talent to make a playoff push? Or do they blow it up and start the rebuild. Depending on the package for Rose, who is on an expiring contract, they could accomplish both.
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According toESPN New York’s Ian Begley, the Minnesota Timberwolves are one of a few teams that have inquired about Rose. The Timberwolves had motivations of their own, as they want to give their future point guardKris Dunnmore playing time, but haveRicky Rubioblocking the way.
Rose also has a connection to Minnesota. Timberwolves head coach and team president Tom Thibodeau was Rose’s head coach for seven seasons with the Bulls.
If the Timberwolves and Knicks match up on a deal, matching Rose’s big contract could be difficult. Because of the size of his deal, the Knicks would probably bring back Rubio. There are some reasons to like that move, as Rubio would improve the Knicks defense immensely. But, it would also clog up the Knicks salary cap for the next two years, as Rubio’s deal runs through 2019.
Rubio is owed just over $29 million the next two seasons. That isn’t a crazy number but would probably take the Knicks out of the running for any major free agents if any are even still interested in playing for the Knicks. The mess that Jackson and James Dolan have created has turned off many agents and players.
The only way for the Knicks to improve their roster looks to be through trades. It is hard to imagine any high profile player coming here and dealing with what Anthony has when they can get money elsewhere.
Thus far this season Rose has played okay basketball for the Knicks. He is averaging 17.7 points, 4.5 assists, and 3.9 rebounds per game. He has also remained relatively healthy, as his knees have not acted up. But, Rose has been a turnstile on defense and does not really make anyone on the court any better.
If the Knicks can unload him they should think hard and long about it. But, it could be best just to let his contract expire and open up some cap space this summer. Rubio wouldn’t be a bad player to fill the cap space with, as his contract is relatively cheap compared to the deals players are getting now.
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It will be a situation worth keeping an eye on as the Knicks should probably look to move Rose. As an impending free agent the Knicks may not be able to get much for him, so holding onto him may not be the worst idea.
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