The Feb. 6 NBA Trade Deadline is only a few days away, and the trade rumors are continuing to intensify and increase.
The Boston Celtics are a team that should be looking to improve their roster within the next week. The 32-15 Celtics sit third in the Eastern Conference and have played much better than a season ago. However, their inconsistency and lack of depth have been major concerns and could prevent them from seriously contending in the East.
If the Celtics add a bench scorer or two, they will be a much stronger overall team with more of a chance to reach the NBA Finals.
One player who would be a perfect fit for the Celtics is Detroit Pistons point guard Derrick Rose. Last summer, Rose signed a two-year deal worth $15 million with the Detroit Pistons. He is having one of the best seasons of his career since leaving the Chicago Bulls, averaging 18.9 points and six assists, while shooting 49.8 percent from the floor.
The Celtics have a weak bench and are especially short-handed in the point guard position. Neither Brad Wanamaker nor Carsen Edwards has been able to successfully hold down Kemba Walker’s backup point guard role.
Rose, who is familiar with coming off of the bench, would be a perfect complement to Walker and would greatly strengthen the Celtics bench.
Recently, a report from The Athletic reporter Shams Charania stated that the Pistons are open to trading Rose for a “lottery level first-round pick.” Because the vast majority of contending teams who would want to trade for Rose do not have lottery level picks, the Celtics may be able to offer the best package to Detroit. The Celtics own the Memphis Grizzlies first-round pick for this year. That pick could easily turn into a low lottery pick of the Grizzlies have a poor second half of the season. To make the trade work, the Celtics would have to include a player or two for salary cap purposes.
Rose is a well-rounded player who can score in many ways. While he is not known as a prolific three-point shooter, he is still shooting a respectable 31.5 percent from long range. His athleticism allows him to drive the lane and score inside with ease and makes him a decent defender as well. Additionally, Rose’s fantastic court vision, passing ability, and basketball IQ make him a great playmaker and facilitator. The Celtics should welcome his offensive versatility and scoring prowess as it would solidify their noticeable areas of weakness.
A trade that I could see being agreed upon by both teams would be the Celtics receiving Rose and the Pistons receiving the Grizzlies 2020 first-round pick, center Vincent Poirier, and another young player such as Semi Ojeleye or Carsen Edwards. The Pistons are clearly not going to be a contending team soon so they may want to trade Rose now before his trade value drops. If they wait until next year’s trade deadline to shop Rose, he may only go for a second-rounder as he will only be a half-year rental player.
Rose to the Celtics makes perfect sense. The Pistons are open to the idea of trading him, and the Celtics have the assets to trade for him. The Celtics need an experienced veteran player who can come off the bench and score, and Rose fits every category. Also, they would be getting him through the 2021 season because he still has a year remaining on his contract. If Danny Ainge finally wants to make a trade that will give his team a better chance to win, Rose should be high on his list of targets.
