Lakers Rumors: Alex Caruso was offered for Derrick Rose

Recent Lakers rumors are that Los Angeles offered up Alex Caruso in a trade package for Derrick Rose.

With the roster looking set for the Los Angeles Lakers heading into the playoffs, recent Lakers rumors have been about this past trade deadline.

Before the trade deadline, the Lakers were an active team as many expected. With championship aspirations, the Lakers were trying to put the finishing touches on their roster. However, the Lakers ended up not making any deals before the deadline, as they didn’t have a ton of good assets to move.

Instead of making a trade, the Lakers attacked the buyout market with the additions of Markieff Morris and just recently Dion Waiters. Both of these players can certainly be in the rotation for the Lakers in the playoffs, and we will have to see what they can bring to the table as they get used to playing with their new team.

While the Lakers didn’t make a move at the deadline, they did reportedly have an offer of theirs rejected by the Detroit Pistons for Derrick Rose. According to Shams Charania, the Lakers offered Alex Caruso and draft compensation to the Pistons for Rose. However, the Pistons rejected the deal.

Adding Rose would have solved the Lakers’ biggest issue, which is a secondary playmaker. Rose has been great on a very bad Pistons team this season. While Rose would have been great with the second unit, him playing alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis might not have been the best mix.

Rose is a very ball-dominant player, and while that would be good with James off the court, the two might have taken some time getting adjusted to playing on the court together. However, while Rose might have helped the Lakers on the offensive end of the court, losing Caruso would have been a tough pill to swallow for many.

Even though Caruso doesn’t have the greatest per game stats, good things happen when he is on the court. Caruso has proven to be an excellent defender for the Lakers. With Caruso seemingly improving every year, he has quickly become a very valuable asset for the Lakers.

Fans of the Lakers are likely happy that this deal didn’t go through, as Caruso is easily one of the most beloved players on the team. However, it’s interesting to think about what Rose would have brought to the squad.