NBA Trade Rumors: Lakers Target Former MVP Derrick Rose in the Offseason

The Lakers would not be satisfied with just one championship victory after an entire decade’s worth of wait. Their top guns, Anthony Davis and LeBron James, would also like to pull a three-peat and cement their legacy with the franchise. To achieve all this, they’d need some strong helping hands to back the duo.

The assumption here is that the duo is here to stay in the city of Los Angeles. However, the same assumption can not be made for their Game 6 hero, Rajon Rondo. He will explore his free agency and could leave the Lakers this offseason. This would leave a vacant place in the squad with another star-caliber to search for it. 

The hunt has begun, and a name is almost finalized!

Last year, too, the news was hot that the Lakers were actively pursuing Derrick Rose. They were reportedly willing to give up Alex Caruso and a draft pick for the trade with the Detroit Pistons. However, the Pistons were reluctant to make one such deal. But the news now has it that the deal can finally take shape.

A general manager compared the last year’s off-season trends to today’s. He was quoted revealing, “I don’t think the Lakers wanted to make a major move because they thought they could do something on the buyout market. And I don’t think the Pistons wanted to make a major move because Derrick was happy there. You know, the Lakers wanted to be involved in case the Clippers got involved or someone else, the Bucks or the Nuggets, whoever. So there was interest but not too serious. Now, everything has shifted a little. Now, they’re both in a position to where a deal is much more likely now.”

Derrick Rose will be a great addition to the Lakers unit

To make this trade happen, chances are strong that the Lakers might have to trade Kyle Kuzma to the Pistons. Considering the fact that Kuzma will anyway hit the free agency next offseason, this can be an easy choice. Even Kentavious Caldwell-Pope is slated to be a free agent and all this will create a demand for a backcourt player.

This is exactly where the youngest MVP in the history of the NBA comes into the picture. Derrick Rose spent seven seasons with the Chicago Bulls and was the first overall pick in 2008. His career average stands at 18.1 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 5.6 assists. He has also played alongside LeBron James for a very short interval in the 2017-18 season. All these things make his case even stronger.