With the February trade deadline fast approaching, veteran point guard Derrick Rose has found himself in the rumor mill as one of the most highly-coveted players on the market. The Philadelphia 76ers have emerged as one of the teams that reportedly have serious interest in trading for the former Most Valuable Player winner, and today, we take a look at why this move could prove beneficial for the Sixers.
For starters, trading away Rose would be a good move for a struggling Detroit Pistons side. Right now, the team stands at 16-28, and while they are still just three games outside the playoffs picture in the East, the front office understands that they are anything but contenders at this point. A postseason berth is still well within reach, but the Pistons would be extremely hard-pressed to progress to the second round if they were to face the likes of the Milwaukee Bucks or the Miami Heat (or any other top-seeded team for that matter).
Getting some future assets in exchange for Rose would be ideal for the Pistons, who seem all but ready to blow up their entire roster. The former first overall pick is having a tremendous season, but it just doesn't make sense for Detroit to keep him on board if they intend to shift their focus on youth development over the next few years.
As for the Sixers, Rose will be an instant and significant upgrade for backup point guards Raul Neto or Trey Burke. There is no doubt that Philly have one of the most formidable starting fives in the league today, but depth has proven to be one of their biggest weaknesses. Rose should be able to fill this void excellently, as he has proven how well he has embraced his role coming off the bench for the Pistons.
Having Rose on his roster would also provide head coach Brett Brown with another option in crunch time. Should the Sixers successfully bring in the 31-year-old, it would not be hard to imagine Rose closing out ballgames alongside Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons. Rose may not exactly be a sharp-shooter from the outside, but he has proven that he is capable of making the trey ball (he is currently averaging 0.9 triples per game this season). This should help the Sixers in spacing the floor, and alongside Rose's ability to attack the basket to make his own shot, he could also open things up more for the likes of Embiid and Simmons.
As mentioned previously, Rose is having an outstanding campaign thus far, and the Pistons know that they are in a great bargaining position at the moment. This means that the Sixers might need to part ways with some significant assets — perhaps some future draft picks and/or a couple of expiring deals — so we should be able to see just how much they want to bring Rose on board within the next few weeks.
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