The Detroit Pistons finally traded Derrick Rose to the New York Knicks.
The rumors that cropped up on Saturday materialized on Sunday with nary a peep.
Basketball news on the day of the Super Bowl, of course, will hardly register on the seismograph. In case you missed it, the inevitable happened.
The New York Knicks acquired the 13-year vet in exchange for point guard Dennis Smith Jr. and a 2021 2nd-round pick that belongs to the Charlotte Hornets (and will likely land in the top-40).
The trade deadline isn’t until March 25, but Troy Weaver evidently felt the iron was hot and sent away the Pistons’ most valuable trade asset.
The timing and return of the deal have inspired a litany of opinions ranging from awful to acceptable. Draft capital is always useful, but will the 23-year-old Smith, who has struggled with injuries and shaky shooting since his rookie season, have any potential to bear?
If he can reclaim the skills that made him a top-10 pick, then the return on this deal looks much better. But as the theme has been in Weaver’s early tenure, it’s a gamble. Smith recently asked the Knicks if he could play for their G-League affiliate just to get some game action.
The Clippers and Bucks reportedly gave packages that must not have been equal to what New York offered.
In a market without many sellers given an expanded playoff picture, Rose’s value in late March may have looked different. Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau, who has previously coached Rose in Minnesota and Chicago, would still have been on speed dial.
But those thoughts are hypothetical. Rose is no longer a Piston, the rebuild continues. What is next?