Derrick Rose trade shows Detroit Pistons aren’t waiting to redesign their roster

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Derrick Rose was a natural trade candidate for the Detroit Pistons, given his two-year, $15 million contract was set to expire this year. Detroit had incentive to move him before the deadline, rather than risk moving him and gaining nothing.

They didn’t wait until the deadline to get it done.

The Pistons traded Rose to the New York Knicks in exchange for Dennis Smith, the ninth overall pick of the 2017 NBA draft, and the Charlotte Hornets’ 2021 second rounder. In New York, Rose will be reunited with Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau, who coached Rose with the Chicago Bulls from 2010-15 and with the Minnesota Timberwolves from 2018-19.

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Rather than wait, the Pistons opted to move Rose now because they had an opportunity to do it now, a league source said. The franchise is continuing its pivot toward youth, and Rose, who is 32 and will be an unrestricted free agent this summer, did not factor into Detroit’s future plans. While Rose embraced his role as a veteran mentor for a young Pistons roster, he also wanted to compete. The Knicks are currently in the thick of the Eastern Conference playoff race.

Detroit didn’t get a king’s ransom in the trade, but they did add a draft pick to their future stock of them. They could also get an extended look at Smith, a former lottery pick and second-team All-Rookie selection still looking to find traction in the NBA.

After unloading second-round picks during offseason, Pistons add one

The Knicks only had to part with one draft pick for Rose. Charlotte’s 2021 second-rounder may land in the middle of the round depending on where the Hornets finish. They are currently the seventh seed in the Eastern Conference with an 11-13 overall record.

The Knicks also own Detroit’s second-round pick this year, which they received last February from the Los Angeles Clippers. It’ll almost certainly be higher than the Hornets pick, given that the Pistons currently have the worst record in the NBA. While the Pistons didn’t get the best second-round pick New York could offer, they did add a new pick to their cupboard. They traded multiple future draft picks away this postseason. Rose allowed them to acquire one.

The Pistons were aggressive in adding rookies during last year’s draft, swinging separate trades to bring in Isaiah Stewart, Saddiq Bey and Saben Lee. They sent a future first-rounder to the Houston Rockets in the Christian Wood trade, and four second-rounders to the Los Angeles Clippers (Portland’s in 2023, their own in 2024-27) in the Luke Kennard trade.

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Previous trades cost the Pistons their 2021 and 2022 second picks. They have an incoming second-round pick from the Toronto Raptors this year, giving them three picks in the 2021 draft (including their own in the first round). Detroit will also receive a second rounder from Golden State or Cleveland in 2023, and a future second-round pick from Houston.

Dennis Smith has an opportunity to prove himself

With Killian Hayes out until at least late March with a hip injury, the Pistons have been a little thin at the point guard position. Delon Wright has settled into the starting role, and Rose’s frequent absences from the lineup (he missed eight of his 23 games with the Pistons this season, including three last week) opened the door for Rodney McGruder and two-way guard Saben Lee to enter the rotation for stints.

Until Hayes returns, Smith has a clear path toward playing time. He could immediately replace Rose as the backup point guard, although it isn’t yet clear how Dwane Casey will factor Smith into the rotation. Smith played just 28 minutes with the Knicks this season. Smith recently requested that the Knicks assign him to the G League bubble so he could receive additional playing time. They granted his request on Feb. 1.

The fourth-year guard has seen his usage decrease in recent seasons. He started 119 of the 122 games he was active during his first year-and-a-half with the Dallas Mavericks, which drafted him in the lottery in 2017. Dallas traded him to New York midway through his sophomore season in the Kristaps Porzingis trade, and he struggled to establish himself with the Knicks. He appeared in 34 games during the 2019-20 season and started three.

Smith was named to the All-Rookie Second Team in 2018 and competed in the 2018 and 2019 NBA Slam Dunk contests. He hasn’t been able to deliver on the hype, but with Hayes sidelined for a month, this could be the extended audition he needs.

Hayes’ return will force Casey to make additional lineup decisions. The rookiestarted all seven games before suffering the hip injury in early January. To accommodate both Hayes and Smith in the rotation, Wright could shift back to shooting guard. Wright has found some success at the “1” in recent weeks and had one of his best outings of the season Saturday against the Los Angeles Lakers.

The Pistons save roughly $2 million by unloading Rose for Smith, who can become a restricted free agent this summer if Detroit extends him a qualifying offer.

Contact Omari Sankofa II at osankofa@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @omarisankofa. The Free Press has started a new digital subscription model.

This article was originally published by Freep.com. Read the original article here.