The New York Knicks made a major move to upgrade their ailing backcourt, acquiring former NBA MVP Derrick Rose from the Chicago Bulls.
On the eve of the 2016 NBA Draft, New York acquired Rose, guard Justin Holiday and a second-round pick in 2017 from Chicago for center Robin Lopez and guards Jerian Grant and Jose Calderon.
“Knowing Derrick as I do makes this trade a hard one. Everyone knows him as the local kid who became MVP for his hometown team, but not everyone got to know him like I did. While he is a terrific basketball player, he is an even better person with a tremendous heart,” said Chicago Bulls Chairman Jerry Reinsdorf in a statement Wednesday. “I wish him the best of health for the remainder of his career, and I want to personally thank him for everything that he did on the court and in the community during his time with the Chicago Bulls.”
Reports surfaced last week that the Knicks held internal discussions about acquiring Rose. The Bulls were also tied to rumors involving shooting guard Jimmy Butler, a 2015 All-Star drawing interest from the Minnesota Timberwolves and Boston Celtics.
A move with Butler is considered a long shot.
The oft-injured Rose tore his ACL in his left knee during the 2012 playoffs before tearing the meniscus in his right knee early in the 2013-14 campaign. The 27-year-old averaged 16.4 points and 4.7 assists for the Bulls last season.
The Knicks will also add depth to their backcourt by acquiring the 27-year-old Holiday, who averaged 4.5 points and 1.7 rebounds per contest last season. Holiday came to Chicago in a deal with the Atlanta Hawks.
President Phil Jackson insisted to reporters that his struggling team can make the playoffs in a weak Eastern Conference and with a healthy Rose — no certainty based on his history of knee issues — alongside Carmelo Anthony and Kristaps Porzingis, that might be more feasible.
Jackson added that a few adjustments were in order for the spacing in the triangle offense under new coach Jeff Hornacek, who takes over a team that finished 32-50 in 2015-16 for its third straight losing season.
Calderon, who will be 35 in September, served as New York’s starting point guard and averaged just 7.6 points and a career-worst 4.1 assists per game last season.
Grant, 23, added 5.6 points and 2.3 assists per contest in 2015-16.
The 28-year-old Lopez averaged 10.3 points and 7.3 rebounds last season for the Knicks.