For the first time in his career, Derrick Rose will test the free-agency waters as an unrestricted free-agent. It only means he can sign wherever he wants without any restrictions. Despite the injuries and evident regression of his play, the market is still there for the 2011 NBA MVP.
So far, the Minnesota Timberwolves and the San Antonio Spurs are rumored as potential suitors for the once high-flying guard. Then, there’s the possibility of staying put with the New York Knicks for one more year, if Phil Jackson runs out of option of quality playmakers in the draft and Free Agency.
It’s true that, despite the injuries and multiple surgeries on both knees, Rose is still putting up solid numbers. Last year, he averaged 18.0 points, 3.8 rebounds and 4.4 assists per game while shooting 47.1 percent from the field. He also played 64 games last season and logged in 32.5 minutes a game, which is the most minutes per game since returning from the ACL injury in 2013.
The stats only prove that Rose is far from being a washed out player. Sometimes, people forget that he’s just entering his prime at 28 and with his game no longer predicated on knee-straining hard drives as Rose can still make a big impact on any NBA team he joins in. So, how the Spurs and T-Wolves envision Rose’s role with their teams next season?
Running with the Spurs
For the Spurs, they hope Rose will turn into the second version of Tony Parker. Unlike Rose, the French playmaker has never been an athletic-type of player, and yet he led the league in field goals made inside the shaded lane for multiple years. At this stage of his career, Rose is still deadly in the open court like Parker was during his prime.
However, Gregg Popovich doesn’t want Rose to be the scorer Parker, he wants him to be the playmaker Parker.
Coach Pop understands that Rose can still create open looks for his plethora of spot-up shooters – including Kawhi Leonard – through penetrations. Moreover, Rose-to-Leonard pick-and-roll combo would be deadlier than most people think because both are excellent finishers around the rim and great mid-range shooters.
The only problem with Rose is that he hasn’t developed a consistent three-point shot up to this point. He’s still shooting under 30 percent from beyond the arc, with last season’s clip being the lowest at 21 percent.
Reviving the magic with Thibs
As for the Timberwolves, a potential reunion with head coach Tim Thibodeau will certainly bode well for Rose’s career. There’s no person who better understands Rose’s game than Thibs. With Kris Dunn still very much raw at this point, expect Thibodeau to put Rose in the line of fire right away, as he assumes the role of the main facilitator for Andrew Wiggins and Karl-Anthony Towns. Like in San Antonio, he will no longer be the first option on offense, and that’s okay with him as long as he keeps winning ball games.
