(RADIO.COM Sports) Derrick Rose appears to be headed back to the Knicks.
The Detroit Pistons are nearing an agreement to send Rose to New York in exchange for Dennis Smith Jr. and draft compensation, according to NBA insider Shams Charania. The Pistons had recently been considering trading Rose, who has sat out the last three games due to personal reasons, and the Knicks were among his preferred destinations.
In New York, Rose will be reunited with coach Tom Thibodeau, who coached Rose early in his career with the Chicago Bulls and again from 2017-'19 with the Minnesota Timberwolves before Rose was traded to the Pistons. Rose won the MVP in 2010-'11, which was Thibodeau's first season in Chicago.
The addition of Rose adds a veteran point guard to the Knicks' roster, but 21-year-old rookie Immanuel Quickley has been impressive off the bench behind Elfrid Payton and emerged as a fan favorite. It's unclear if the trade would affect Quickley's minutes.
Rose's last stint with the Knicks, during the 2016-'17, was a bit of a roller coaster that saw him put up decent numbers, but his play was overshadowed by off-court drama, particularly when he went AWOL before a game to be back home with his family in Chicago. His season later ended with yet another knee surgery.
Smith, the No. 9 overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft, has played in just three games this season. He has failed to play to his potential since joining the Knicks in 2019 as part of the Kristaps Porzingis trade with the Dallas Mavericks, averaging 8.7 points and 3.7 assists per game. While in Dallas, Smith averaged 14.5 points, 4.9 assists and 3.5 rebounds per game.
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