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Last season the Knicks turned Dennis Smith Jr. and a 2nd-round pick into Derrick Rose, who played well enough to actually finish ninth in NBA voting, all for the low low price of a little under $4M over half a season. Apparently the Knicks are into paying it forward.
Free agent G Derrick Rose has agreed to a three-year, $43M deal to return to the New York Knicks, source tells ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) August 3, 2021
If you like the job Tom Thibodeau did last season, you know Rose was about as big a part of that success as anyone not named Julius Randle. Rose helped anchor a bench unit that for much of the season was a Knick strength. When Elfrid Payton was mercifully banished from the rotation in the playoffs, Rose stepped in. He didn’t exactly step up, but the Knicks wouldn’t have won 41 games and finished fourth in the East without Rose.
As of 10 p.m. it’s still unclear how exactly the Knicks are paying Rose — and yes, that matters.
Knicks *could* sign Derrick Rose to the reported 3-year, $43 million contract if they want to retain him with their Early Bird Rights. They could give him a $43.6 million deal over 3 years with those rights, which would allow them to sign him last and keep spending before then.
— Mike Vorkunov (@MikeVorkunov) August 3, 2021
The Rose and Nerlens Noel signings seem to be causing Knick fans the most agita. Committing that many years and dollars to a 32-year-old with Rose’s injury history does raise eyebrows, if not outright concern. Rose has never played more than 66 games in any season since tearing his ACL back in 2012; in eight of the 10 seasons, he played 51 or fewer. Hopefully a team with RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley can count on development from both, along with continued production from Randle and Alec Burks and newcomer Evan Fournier. Rose at this stage of his career is the quintessential less-is-more player. Hopefully the team keeps him closer to his Sixth Man combo guard role and not the starting point guard. Whatever comes their way, you know Thibodeau will feature Rose prominently.
Thoughts? You know the deal. Kvetch.