Detroit Pistons: There is no pressure to trade Derrick Rose

The asking price should be a first-round pick or no deal in exchange for Detroit Pistons veteran guard Derrick Rose.

The Detroit Pistons shouldn’t fold from any pressure when negotiating a trade for former MVP Derrick Rose. Rose is still under contract for next year, and with Reggie Jackson on an expiring deal, at this point, all signs point to Rose being the starting point guard next season for the rebuilding Pistons.

Sure, Rose’s name will continue to circulate leading up to the 3 pm Est trade deadline tomorrow, but Detroit doesn’t have any real pressure to move Derrick. General manager Ed Stefanski should set the price for Rose at a first-round pick or nothing. How much would Detroit benefit by adding a mid to late second-round choice in a deal? Not much.

There is a difference between acquiring a second-round pick for Andre Drummond because he does have a whopping $28-million player option he could potentially opt into this offseason. If Drummond comes to the conclusion, he will struggle to find that type of money elsewhere; the chances of him opting-in significantly improve. That would be awful because it would simply prologue a much-needed rebuild for another year.

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Ed Stefanski needs to move Andre Drummond for whatever he can just out of fear that he could indeed opt-in this offseason.

For Derrick Rose, he’s in the first year of his two year, $15-million contract. It’s a team-friendly deal that benefits both parties involved. Derrick has become a fan favorite in Detroit, and if the team can’t fetch a first-round pick for his services, he will at the very least remain a reason for fans to at least show up to the arena for the remainder of the season.

Rose appears to enjoy playing in Detroit. By all accounts, he seems not only just rejuvenated but seems to enjoy being the focal point of an offense once again. Rose is also a valuable teacher for the young guards currently rostered, such as Bruce Brown and Svi Mykhailiuk. Young players working alongside a former league MVP on a daily basis will go along way aiding their overall development.

Rose recently had a tremendous scoring stretch where he scored 20 or more points in 14 straight contests. It’s something no Pistons’ player had accomplished since Grant Hill. Through 44 games on the season, Rose has averaged 18.5 points, 2.5 boards, 5.8 assists, and shooting 31.5% from three-point range in just 26.4 minutes of work.

It may not be the perfect overall fit, but he’d drastically improve the Los Angeles Lakers bench. Rose could continue to be productive as the primary ball-handler when LeBron James needs a rest, and he’d be a significant upgrade over Rajon Rondo. I’d like to see Rose win a championship, L.A. seems like the best opportunity at the moment. He’s also familiar with James during a short stint together in Cleveland.

Philidelphia and Minnesota (where Rose played last season) are both in the market to add a point guard, but the Lakers just feel right to me, especially if Detroit can land Kyle Kuzma in a deal.