Reaction to the Milwaukee Bucks expressing trade interest in Derrick Rose

The Milwaukee Bucks have been linked to the same few names leading up to the trade deadline for weeks now, but a new name has entered the mix.

According to NBA insider Marc Stein, the Bucks have expressed interest in Derrick Rose of the New York Knicks ahead of Thursday’s deadline. Rose has been out of New York’s rotation for an extended period of time after the team shifted to focus on their younger guards. It was reported by Stein previously that the Knicks are looking to trade Rose but want to do right by him in any deal. Perhaps sending him to an Eastern Conference contender would fit the billing.

Reaction to the Milwaukee Bucks expressing trade interest in Derrick Rose

Rose is the latest Knick to be linked to the Bucks ahead of the trade deadline. Michael Scotto of HoopsHype previously stated that Immanuel Quickley was on Milwaukee’s radar, and he noted elsewhere that they have had trade discussions about Cam Reddish. While it seems like Quickley is off the table, Rose and Reddish are still very much available for trade.

Milwaukee’s interest in Rose makes some sense. The team could always use another second unit sparkplug who can score and handle the basketball some, and Rose has been solid in that regard over the past few years, having averaged 14.9 points and 4.2 assists since the 2018-19 season. He’d give the Bucks another experienced point guard who could be used to alleviate some of the pressure off of Milwaukee’s other ball handlers. Coach Mike Budenholzer likes to use two point guard lineups situationally, and Rose and Jrue Holiday would make for an interesting pairing.

While there are several reasons why Rose would make sense for the Bucks, there are concerns to go along with them. First and foremost, no one knows what Rose will look like when he returns to the floor, given that he has been out of the rotation for so long. Now, that is a bit ironic, given that the Bucks have been in hot pursuit of Jae Crowder, who has yet to play this season, but Rose did not look that impressive when he did play earlier this season. In 26 games, he averaged 5.8 points while shooting 39.4 percent from the floor. Rose also would not help fortify Milwaukee’s defense.

To match Rose’s salary, the Bucks would realistically have to include Grayson Allen and his salary. That would be a questionable move, given the uncertainty surrounding Rose and how well Allen fits in with the Bucks. The Knicks have indeed expressed interest in Allen in recent weeks, as Scotto noted in the aforementioned reporting. While it would take a lot, a scenario may exist out there where the Bucks land Rose and Reddish at the deadline.

Stay tuned to see if the Milwaukee Bucks’ interest in the former MVP materializes into anything before the deadline on Thursday.