The New York Knicks will begin free agency at 6pm tomorrow and start to fill out the rest of their roster. All summer long, NY has been linked to point guards.
Whether it’s been some sort of blockbuster trade for Damian Lillard or pursuing top free agent point guards such as Lonzo Ball, Spencer Dinwiddie, Kyle Lowry, or even Chris Paul – there have been links to a wide range of players.
What sometimes gets lost in the shuffle is simply retaining their 2021 point guard, Derrick Rose.
The New York Knicks can’t afford a dropoff from Derrick Rose
There should be zero opposition to retaining Derrick Rose. The confidence of writers and fans alike about Derrick Rose wanting to return to New York has been high all summer, to the point where have been multiple scenarios discussed where NY would not only re-sign Derrick Rose, they would sign another big-name point, with Rose going back to his 6th man role.
Maybe we shouldn’t be all that confident? As the start of free agency has drawn nearer, Derrick Rose returning to Chicago has picked up some steam.
There is still plenty of reason to believe Rose will want to return to New York, but Knicks fans know by now not to be overconfident when it comes to free agency.
Now, if Rose walks, it’s not the end of the world. As mentioned earlier, there are plenty of point guard options who could be just as dynamic, if not more. The problem is if the New York Knicks aren’t able to retain Rose or sign a top point guard, they’re going to be in trouble.
Anyone who watched the New York Knicks last season knows just how big of an impact Derrick Rose had when they acquired him before the trade deadline. They were desperate for stronger guard play, and Rose’s offense was invaluable to their success.
It showed up in the playoffs as well — Derrick Rose was the only player who was able to take the ball from Julius Randle and create offense on his own.
The team’s roster at the moment has a lot of young, inexperienced guards. Even RJ Barrett, who spends a lot of time at the 2, is much more of a slasher than he is a combo guard.
Should there be confidence the team can sign one of the big-name free agents?
Absolutely – New York is coming off a great season and has a boatload of money to spend. However…
The days leading up to free agency have been a reminder that it’s not that simple.
There have already been big rumors linking top-free agents to other teams: Kyle Lowry and Miami, Spencer Dinwiddie and Washington, Lonzo Ball and Chicago.
The bottom line is, New York can’t afford to lose Derrick Rose and come away with a role player at point guard. This team needs shot creators – players who are comfortable getting their own shot and attacking a defense with the ball in their hands.
If New York downgrades at point guard, they’ll absolutely regress from the 4th seed they earned last season.