One NBA executive believes that the Miami Heat are a “team to look at” as a possible destination for New York Knicks point guard Derrick Rose.
Rose, who has fallen out of the rotation in New York in favor of youngster Miles McBride, has what it takes to help a contender this season if the Knicks trade him.
“Rose has gotten a lot of interest, but no one is going to give up a first-rounder for him at this point — he is 34 and has not been healthy for years now,” the executive told Heavy Sports. “He is tough to trade because he has a team option next year, so someone would have to guarantee that. The [Los Angeles] Lakers had contact about him, they have been interested in him for a while, but they’re not going to give up a pick for him. Miami is a team to look at there. They’re not confident that Kyle Lowry will be healthy in the playoffs, and they’ve had interest in Rose before. Dallas signed Kemba [Walker], but if he does not work out, they’d be a possible spot. The Knicks are not going to trade him, though, unless they can get him someplace he wants to be, and he has not said yet that he wants to be traded.”
The Heat could use some more depth at the guard position with Kyle Lowry and Gabe Vincent both dealing with injuries this season, and Rose is a proven veteran that could easily slide into the team’s rotation.
The Knicks opted to take Rose out of their rotation for the defensive-minded McBride, and it’s worked for the team so far. The Knicks won their eighth straight game on Tuesday, beating the Golden State Warriors in blowout fashion.
Rose dealt with an ankle injury in the 2021-22 season that limited him to just 26 games. He’s played in 22 games for the Knicks so far in the 2022-23 campaign.
The former MVP is averaging 6.3 points, 1.7 rebounds and 1.9 assists in 13.1 minutes per game this season. He’s shot the ball relatively well from beyond the arc, hitting his 3-pointers at a 34.6 percent clip.
The 34-year-old has a team option for the 2023-24 season on his contract, so the Heat could have him for multiple seasons if they were to make a deal for him.
It may be hard for the Heat to justify giving up a valuable return for Rose, especially at this stage in his career. It’s also possible the Knicks won’t end up dealing him, as he gives them proven insurance at the guard position in case of injuries.
The Heat are turning things around after a slow start to the season, but the team has been ravaged by injuries throughout the 2022-23 campaign.
Adding another veteran or rotation piece like Rose could help Miami make some noise in the Eastern Conference.
