It will be a short season for the Detroit Pistons, but Derrick Rose had a shot at sticking around for the playoffs and playing for the title-seeking Los Angeles Lakers. The move was made, but reportedly it did not even take off. Disinterested, the Pistons shot down the proposal.
The regular games will soon wrap up, and the Pistons are sure to go on an early vacation. The team will rebuild, and apparently, Rose, who joined the team before the start of the season for $15 million, is part of the plan. The notice has been sent out - as far as the former MVP is concerned, there will be no buyout talks.
Still, the Lakers tried to make their case but were quickly turned down, according to Bleacher Report, citing the claims made by Brian Windhorst.
"From what I understand, when the Lakers called the Pistons and expressed an interest in trading for Derrick Rose, the Pistons said 'Hey, we appreciate you calling, but we're not trading him. Dwane Casey likes him. We think he's going to be important for us next year.' He just wasn't available," Windhorst was reported as saying.
The Lakers' persistence was understandable as Rose remains an asset on the court, which the Pistons seemed to have realized. The All-Star for three occasions is playing an impressive basketball in the season and displaying the qualities that made him a key figure in the Chicago Bulls camp before.
Rose is making at least 18 points for Detroit in every game, backed by 5.7 assists and 2.4 rebounds. These numbers prompted the Pistons to exempt Rose when the reset button is pressed by the end of the campaign. He will remain in the roster in the next season unless there is a compelling reason to sit down for a deal.
Clutch Points said, the Pistons receive trade offers on Rose outside of the Lakers but none included a reason for the team to take a second look. Only a first-round pick, since the team is rebuilding, will draw the attention of Detroit, the report added.
It is expected that Rose will be one of the headliners for the Pistons in Season 2020-21. He will be paired up with Blake Griffin as the team is optimistic the power forward will be in top form by then.
The hope by Detroit is to improve on the 19 wins that the team had only managed so far. Rose has seen an important element for the club to make the playoffs next year. That is why the trade overtures from the Lakers and other clubs were thumbed down.
