3 reasons the Detroit Pistons should trade Derrick Rose

2. Rose wants to be freed

The Detroit Pistons haven’t had their season go as planned. One of the bright spots has been Rose’s play. He’s been entertaining, frustrating but, ultimately, fun to watch. But things haven’t gone as planned.

Amidst all the injury risks attached with Rose, it’s a bright spot that he hasn’t been hampered by injuries this season. While the Pistons medical staff could be in question for what may amount to a lost season, they’ve done a great job of handling Rose.

But Rose feels like he’s being handled with kid gloves. That coupled with amounting frustration in the midst of a losing spell. The Pistons lost their seventh of eight games at the time, 104-81 against the Jazz. He was candid with how he felt.

“I feel good, but it’s not up to me with the minutes,” he told reporters. “It’s up to the coaching staff and (medical) staff. Of course, I want to be out there, but I guess they see something I don’t, and they’re worried about me.”

Before the season started, the Pistons rolled out a plan for Rose to play 25-to-27 minutes per game in a strict limit to keep him healthy for a postseason push. The reality is the Pistons realize that’s slipping from their grasp and are slowly ramping him up. Over the last three games, Rose has played 28, 29 and 30 minutes, respectively.

Carefully managing his minutes could serve a greater purpose in showcasing what Rose can do in a short period of time, coming off the bench. It’s boosted his trade value so a potential team that would trade for him could use him in the playoffs.