NBA Rumors: Derrick Rose's rejuvenation could change New York Knicks' free agency plans

Derrick Rose has made a remarkable turnaround this season with the New York Knicks, and the latest NBA rumors suggest this could play a role in the team re-signing him this offseason. Rose is set to enter free agency at the end of the current campaign, and several teams have been keeping tabs on the point guard.

Derrick Rose started the 2020-21 NBA campaign playing for the Detroit Pistons before being traded to the New York Knicks in February earlier this year. He has been instrumental in helping the New York Knicks secure homecourt advantage in the 2021 NBA Playoffs. Rose averaged 14.9 points and 5.5 assists on 48.7% shooting from the field in the regular season since joining the Knicks.

I wonder if KD, Kyrie, and James Harden care that Derrick Rose is currently more popular in New York City than all of them combined
— Pablo S. Torre (@PabloTorre) May 23, 2021

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NBA Rumors: Derrick Rose's recent performances could see the New York Knicks avoid making a big-money move

The New York Knicks have been in the hunt for a point guard this season. They were heavily pursuing Lonzo Ball at the trade deadline but took a late U-turn. That proved to be a smart decision as the Knicks backcourt comprising Elfrid Payton, RJ Barrett, Derrick Rose and Alec Burks has been terrific for them so far.

D-Rose, in particular, has flourished in his second stint with the team. He scored 26 points off the bench for the Knicks in their last playoff game against the Atlanta Hawks to propel them to a comeback win.

Derrick Rose in the Knicks' Game 2 W 😤🌹 26 Pts (Team-high)🌹 4 Reb🌹 4 Ast🌹 38 Min (Team-high) pic.twitter.com/pFpPymn0mr
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) May 27, 2021

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SNY TV's Ian Bagley reported that teams in the hunt for a point guard in free agency believe Rose's performances this season could change the New York Knicks' free agency plans in the summer. Here's what he said on a recent broadcast on SNY TV:

"It's interesting to note that, teams monitoring the free agency market, particularly for the point guard position they expect that Rose's play is going to factor in on how the Knicks approach free agency at point guard position.... Before Rose, other teams expected the Knicks to spend money on big-name, ball-dominant point guard."

Derrick Rose's impact has been off the charts so far, and if he continues to play like this, the New York Knicks could indeed make a deep playoff run. He will be in action Friday night at State Farm Arena as the Knicks take on the Atlanta Hawks in Game 3 of their first-round series.

Also read: 5 Players to score 40+ points in an NBA Playoff game aged 21 or younger