When free agency in the NBA officially begins on Sunday at 6pm, the Detroit Pistons are expected to make at least a little bit of noise.
Detroit Pistons are emerging as the favorite to sign Derrick Rose, according to a league source.
— Frank Isola (@TheFrankIsola) June 29, 2019
Though he has never really been the same player since coming back from a torn ACL that cost him the entire 2012-13 season, Rose did enjoy a resurgence last season while playing with the Minnesota Timberwolves. While playing in 51 games with Minnesota, Rose averaged 18 points and 4.3 assists per game, mostly in a bench role. He also shot 37% from three point range in those 51 games with Minnesota last season.
Before suffering the ACL injury, Rose averaged more than 20 points per game in three consecutive seasons. Since the injury, he hasn’t averaged more than 18 points per game over the course of season, plus has not played in more than 66 games in an entire season. In fact, he played in 51 games last season and only 50 games in the season before.
While it’s unlikely that the Pistons will expect Rose to come in an command a starting role right from the get go, it does create a bit of depth that the team can use to help compliment current starting point guard Reggie Jackson.
Although Detroit technically is currently over the salary cap, they still have the ability to use numerous different exceptions (mid level exception, biannual exception, plus veteran minimum slots that can be used to fill out the remaining holes on the roster). Rose played last season on a one year contract that saw him payed $2.4 million.
While the health concerns will always be there with Rose, it’s good to see the Pistons taking a shot at adding a former MVP to their roster. If the term and dollars in the contract add up, the Pistons could be doing their roster a tremendous service by adding Rose.
