REPORT: Timberwolves Among Several Teams Interested In Derrick Rose
According to a report from ESPN's Ian Begley, the Minnesota Timberwolves have reached out to the New York Knicks to discuss potential trades for Knicks point guard Derrick Rose.
Begley's report states that the Timberwolves are "among several teams" that have reached out to the Knicks at this point in time.
The connection between Rose and the T-Wolves is an obvious one as Rose played for seven years under Timberwolves team president and coach Tom Thibodeau.
While Begley didn't mention any specifics of any deal that would send Rose from New York to Minnesota, he did mention that the T-Wolves are looking to trade point guard Ricky Rubio since Thibodeau looks at 2016 first-round draft pick Kris Dunn and the future at the point guard position for the team.
Rose is averaging 17.7 points per game this year for the Knicks, his first season with the team after being traded from the Bulls this past offseason.
Rose is in the last year of a five-year deal and will be a unrestricted free agent this summer.
Rubio, on the other hand, is signed through 2018-19 and will earn over $14 million in each of the next two seasons, according to Hoops Hype. He's averaged 8.9 points per game along with 8.4 assists. But he's known for his scoring struggles as he's shooting just 38.6 percent from the field for the season, and just 28 percent from three-point range. He's been benched during the fourth quarter of games for more reliable scoring options, and teams tend to give him space defensively because they're aware of his shooting struggles and his fear to shoot from the perimeter in key possessions.
Having a point guard who struggles scoring or isn't looked at as a threat in crunch time won't work for an organization like the Timberwolves, which is starving for its first playoff appearance since the 2003-04 season. That's right, 12 years.
With Dunn waiting in the wings, getting Rubio off their books for and acquiring a veteran like Rose who's familiar with Thibodeau's style of coaching and system could make sense for the Timberwolves, especially considering that the playoffs are all but out of reach in 2017.
The NBA trade deadline is this Thursday at 2 p.m. CT.
