Los Angeles Lakers’ potential trade target: Derrick Rose
Derrick Rose was someone who was tied to the Los Angeles Lakers during the NBA Trade Deadline. Even if it was not the Lakers, it almost seemed like a foregone conclusion that the Pistons would deal Rose, who is not the same Rose of old but has been really good, to get any asset that they could.
Rose has been great the last two seasons as a role-playing guard with somewhat reduced minutes. He averaged 18.1 points and 5.6 assists per game this season in only 26.0 minutes per game.
The Lakers reportedly offered Alex Caruso and draft compensation for Rose and the Pistons declined. The package would obviously have to be better than that.
He is absolutely a prime candidate to be traded this offseason and he would make sense for the Los Angeles Lakers. The Lakers could use him as the secondary ball-handler to LeBron James, essentially being a better version of what Rondo is right now.
To make this trade possible, all the Lakers would have to trade is Kyle Kuzma, Quinn Cook and Rajon Rondo. Of course, this is including the same precedent of the previous trade, that Rondo would agree to this with the promise of being bought out by Detroit.
The Lakers might have to throw the first-round pick in there as well but it would be worth it. Rose is a playmaker and that is what you need in the playoffs and while Kuzma is young, he is a restricted free agent after the 2020-21 season, so he is not even a guaranteed long-term option, as many Laker fans think he is.