The Chicago Bulls have been a stellar team this season, and they have been one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference thus far. Based on their regular season so far, they may be in contention for the NBA championship.
A lot of good teams often make an extra move or two during the season to further improve their roster. The Chicago Bulls could elect to do that. Perhaps they could move for a Chicago legend, Derrick Rose. Here is a potential trade scenario where that happens:
Chicago Bulls Receive: Derrick Rose
New York Knicks Receive: Coby White, Derrick Jones Jr., a future second-round pick
The Chicago Bulls Bring Back Their Former MVP
Derrick Rose is cemented as a legend among Chicago Bulls fans. He was the youngest ever MVP, and he brought the Bulls to the playoffs multiple times during his tenure with the franchise.
While Rose is no longer the MVP-caliber player he once was, he is still a fantastic bench scorer. Rose is currently averaging 12.0 PPG and 3.4 APG in 22.9 MPG this season. The reason Rose’s minutes have fallen this year is due to the multitude of guard options the New York Knicks have.
The Knicks acquired Kemba Walker and Evan Fournier during the offseason, and they have other solid guard players such as Immanuel Quickley as well. Kemba Walker and Immanuel Quickley would likely be the priorities for the point guard position, making Rose a potential asset for trade.
Derrick Rose would be a great experienced voice in the locker room. He has a lot of playoffs games underneath his belt, and he could help the team in terms of knowing what to expect in the postseason.
Due to the logjam at the Knicks’ guard positions, there could be an opportunity for the Chicago Bulls to bring Derrick Rose home. On the Bulls’ he’d likely have more of an opportunity to play. Rose could be a capable high-minutes 6th man, or potentially start at shooting guard in a small-ball lineup. Regardless of where he plays though, Derrick Rose would be an impactful player on the Bulls.
The New York Knicks Get Back Good Value For A Veteran
As mentioned previously, the New York Knicks have better options at both guard positions. It could be best to let Derrick Rose go, and get a multitude of players in return.
With this hypothetical trade package, the Knicks would get back good value for their veteran guard. Coby White would be an immediate replacement for Rose’s role on the Knicks, and he averaged 15.1 PPG last season. He could potentially thrive as a spark plug on the Knicks, despite a slow start this year with the Bulls. While Coby White would also add to the list of good guards on the team, he is a younger guard that could be great down the line, and thus worth trading for.
The Knicks would also get an elite defender in Derrick Jones Jr. who can guard the best opposing perimeter player every night. His athleticism allows him to keep up with most players and be active when defending them. He would fit perfectly with Tom Thibodeau’s defense-first system. Jones Jr. would also be able to finish plays from the dunker spot and as a cutter on offense.
The future draft pick would simply be extra compensation for the Chicago Bulls to get the trade over the top. While second-round picks don’t typically get a lot of value, it is possible that the Knicks find a way to make that pick into a productive player.
Overall, the Knicks would get back a solid young guard, a roster need in a defensive forward, and a low-value pick. The Knicks would get good value for a veteran, and perhaps this could be the move to help them improve on their 9-8 record.
