Like it or not Knicks fans, the team didn’t make any moves before the Feb. 23 trade deadline, which means Carmelo Anthony and Derrick Rose will still be wearing orange and blue.
While there were significantly more trade rumors surrounding Anthony for about six weeks, one rumor involving Rose was ignited in the final days before the deadline. Moving Rose would have been more likely considering how he’s played so far in his first season in New York.
The Minnesota Timberwolves reached out to the Knicks and expressed interest in acquiring Rose in exchange for their starting point guard Ricky Rubio.
However, the trade reportedly fell through at the last minute when the Knicks tried to gain a second piece in addition to Rubio. By the time they withdrew their request for another player, the 3pm deadline had passed.
“The sense I’ve gotten from talking to other teams who’ve talked to New York is they feel like the Knicks would almost give away [Rose] right now,” Adrian Wojnarowski of the Vertical said Wednesday.
Rose is averaging 17.7 points per game on 46% shooting from the field. He’s shooting 24% from deep and 4.5 assists and four rebounds. Defensively, he’s ranked fifth-worst in DRPM among 89 point guards.
On the other hand, Rubio is a playmaker that would have made a great difference in the Knicks’ lineup. Averaging eight assists and just two turnovers all season, he would have been beneficial to Kristaps Porzingis’ development.
While these players remain on their respective teams for now, we’ll just have to wait and see what the offseason brings.
Jaclyn Marr 