Great news, rational New York Knicks fans: Derrick Rose wants to sign with a winner in free agency this summer.
Which, by default, should definitely remove the Knicks from his list of potential landing spots.
From the New York Post‘s Marc Berman:
Still, as he enters free agency, Rose admitted he wants to sign with a winner and that topic will arise when he has his exit meetings with Knicks brass. The Knicks, who may be in rebuilding mode, appear ready to move on from Rose, though holding onto him now makes sense because they could get back an asset by using him in a July sign-and-trade – even for Rubio.
“You have to think about all that in the offseason,’’ said Rose, who can sign a contract extension with the Knicks before July 1. “I’ll be a free agent. Sitting down at the table, I think we’ll have to talk about. I really can’t think about or see how it’s going to go while I’m still playing here.”
On the flip side, we also know Rose is concerned about how much his next contract will pay him. If the Knicks are the team offering the most money, that’ll likely matter more than their crummy situation. Plus, as evidenced by Rose’s superteam comments, he’s not exactly the best judge of winning teams anyway.
It’s nevertheless unlikely that Rose sticks with the Knicks beyond this season. They’re recommitting themselves to Phil Jackson’s beloved triangle, and he epitomizes anti-triangle point guards. That should give him the chance to suss out contract offers from winners—assuming the team that signs him is capable of winning despite the hole at point guard it’s trying to fill.
