ROSE ON THE MOVE? To this point, 2019-20 had brought a shockingly low amount of Derrick Rose trade scuttle, considering how well he’s performing for the Pistons, how poorly Detroit’s season has gone so far and how team-friendly his contract is. That changed on Monday with a report that a few of the league’s top contenders – the Lakers, Sixers and Clippers – had expressed interest in the former league MVP.
Averaging 18.3 points and 5.9 assists per game this season while shooting over 50 percent from the floor and, most importantly, staying relatively healthy, Rose makes the perfect trade candidate for playoff-caliber teams who feel they need additional scoring and playmaking off their respective benches. Rose’s contract situation, which has him earning $7.3 million this season and $7.7 million next season before hitting free agency in 2021, also makes the 31-year-old extremely appealing on the trade market.
As far as potential deals the two main rumored teams, L.A. and Philadelphia, can put together, the former could offer a package centered around their 2020 first-round pick plus Quinn Cook and DeMarcus Cousins as filler, while the latter can package a future protected first-round pick plus Trey Burke and Jonah Bolden to entice the Pistons.
Regardless of where he ends up, Rose belongs on a contender this year; his level of play more than warrants it.
YESTERDAY IN THE ASSOCIATION: Damian Lillard absolutely exploded for the Blazers last night, dropping a career-high and MLK Day record 61 points while sinking 11 three-pointers (including this insane overtime-forcing bucket) in a 129-124 Portland win against Golden State. Meanwhile, in Boston, Kemba Walker scored a victory over LeBron James for the first time in his career when the Celtics blew out Los Angeles 139-107.
LOOKING AHEAD: We have ranked the Top 60 free agents for 2020, including Anthony Davis, Montrezl Harrell and Brandon Ingram.
FRESH POD: Our own Alex Kennedy is joined by 11-year NBA veteran Jared Jeffries, who discussed what it was like to play with Michael Jordan, experiencing Linsanity first hand and much more.
CAREER IN JEOPARDY: The car wreck Chandler Parsons got into last week was even worse than it originally sounded like, as it seems now like the future of Parsons’ career legitimately could be in trouble. Parsons suffered multiple major injuries in the accident, and is filing a lawsuit against the driver, who admitted to being drunk while driving, that struck his vehicle.
RESPECT AMONG GOATS: LeBron James is 65 points away from passing Kobe Bryant on the NBA’s all-time scoring list. Bryant is happy for LeBron, telling The Athletic that the accomplishment is both “great” and “awesome.”
A NEW JAYLEN: After an admittedly rough third season, Jaylen Brown has bounced back in a big way this year. He opened up about what’s different this time, and what this past summer, which included him signing a huge extension with Boston and failing as a member of Team USA, was like.
CONFIDENCE IS HIGH: Giannis Antetokounmpo thinks the Bucks can beat anyone in the league, and is making sure to keep things light while he’s on the floor so he can enjoy the moment.
CANADIAN CONUNDRUM: As has been the case many times in the past, Andrew Wiggins is unsure of whether he wants to suit up for the Canadian national team this summer when they’ll be taking part in a crucial Olympic-qualifying tournament. Canada’s poor luck with getting NBA players to suit up for their country continues.
STILL GROWING: Although he’s averaging career-high marks across the board, Terry Rozier believes he still hasn’t proven anything.
WORTHWHILE CAUSE: Joe Harris, Kyle Lowry, Malcolm Brogdon and a few other NBA players are raising a ton of money to provide underprivileged areas in Africa with water. Awesome cause, which has raised tens of thousands of dollars already.
DON’T COUNT THE RINGS: Robert Horry says fans who use the number of titles a player won to judge their greatness are idiots. If the guy who won seven rings in his career is saying that, he might have a point.
QUALITY BONDING: Brandon Clarke and his father Steven, who lives in Sweden, did some serious bonding when they visited the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis back in December.
THE POWER OF TITLES: In the NBA, there’s this growing trend where different organizations have completely unique job titles and hierarchies that don’t match anyone else’s, like the Thunder having a vice president of insight and foresight and the Clippers having an executive director of research and identity. It’s all very Silicon Valley.
SALARY QUIZ: WHO’S THIS NBA PLAYER? 🤔
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