The Los Angeles Lakers and Los Angeles Clippers were supposedly interested in trading for Derrick Rose at the 2020 trade deadline.

However, the Detroit Pistons chose not to move the former MVP unless they got a first-round pick in return.

One Western Conference executive believes the Pistons “mishandled” the Rose situation and should have traded him. The exec says the Chicago native “would've put the Lakers or the Clippers over the top.”

Via Ric Bucher of Bleacher Report:

“The ask was too great,” the Western Conference executive said. “They totally mishandled that. It was the perfect time to move him. He was the ultimate rental at the trade deadline. You could keep him fresh for the playoffs and still have him next year on a very cap-friendly deal. He (Derrick Rose) would've made a first-round playoff team into a second-round team, and he would've put the Lakers or the Clippers over the top.”

Rose appeared in 50 games for the Pistons in 2019-20. He averaged 18.1 points, 2.4 rebounds and 5.6 assists while shooting 49.0 percent from the field, 30.6 percent from beyond the arc and 87.1 percent from the free-throw line.

The Pistons could always move Rose at the 2021 trade deadline if they are terrible again. The team only won 20 games this season before the campaign was suspended in March. Rose becomes an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2021.

Since entering the NBA, Rose has compiled averages of 18.8 points, 3.4 rebounds and 5.6 assists with the Chicago Bulls, New York Knicks, Cleveland Cavaliers, Minnesota Timberwolves and Pistons.

It will be interesting to see if Rose is on a contender by the time the 2021 trade deadline passes.