This is where the things get real tricky. Let’s say Derrick Rose plays more than 66 games in the regular season (the amount of games he played last season). Let’s say he averages, at the very least, what he did last year.
Now let’s say he plays a majority of the 82 games, if not all of them, in the regular season. Now let’s say he returns close to his MVP form. And now Rose is a free agent next summer.
What do the Knicks do then? Do the re-sign him to a max deal? They wouldn’t do that? Would they? Oh yes, they would. That could be enough proof for the Knicks to believe Rose is their point guard for the next several years.
The last player the Knicks tried this with was Amare Stoudemire. STAT played at an MVP level the first year he was a Knick. The second year, for the most part, was pretty solid, as well. And then everything went downhill very fast.
Knicks fans and the organization itself were counting down the days until his contract came off the books. Not what they expected from a guy who proclaimed the Knicks are back.
So seriously, what do the Knicks do? Do they let Rose walk in either of these scenarios? And how does that effect Noah, since Rose was the one who recruited Noah to the Knicks?
Noah wouldn’t have even considered the Knicks if it weren’t for Rose.
It’s a very pessimistic way of thinking, but it shouldn’t be ignored. This is the Rose dilemma and it makes this offseason move difficult to grade.
GRADE: C
Next: Justin Holiday