• Suggests re-signing Derrick Rose at a 2 year deal worth $20 to $24 million (Where could Rosen have come up with these numbers? I would not be surprised if Phil purposely told Rosen those numbers.).
• Claims that Tim Thibodeau's assistants were primarily to blame for the Rubio-Rose trade falling apart just hours before the deadline. (I have not seen this reported by anyone else, which strongly suggests that it must have been Phil who specifically told Rosen exactly why the trade did not go through. It is plausible that Phil would leak this. Of course you would not expect Rosen to throw Phil under the bus for not completing the trade sooner when he had the chance.)
• Also suggests re-signing Ron Baker and making Ntilikina the 3rd string point guard until Ntilikina is ready to supplant Baker.
• Knicks' pursuit of Ricky Rubio is likely over at this point.
• Further emphasizes that Phil was greatly impressed with Derrick Rose's exit interview. Suggests that Rose would be a great on-court mentor for Ntilikina.
https://www.fanragsports.com/nba/knicks/rosen-knicks-re-sign-derrick-rose/
Charley Rosen wrote:Now that the furious draft business is over, the focus turns to free-agent signings, and the inevitability of more high-impact trades. The New York Knicks will be in the middle of this new and continuing frenzy.
Aside from the absolute necessity of dealing Carmelo Anthony, and getting Kristaps Porzingis into the corral, New York’s point guard situation is noticeably problematic.
The Knicks believe that Frank Ntilikina has the physical tools, the willingness, and the capabilities to develop into an outstanding player at the apex of the triangle offense. The key word here is “develop.”
This presents a tricky dilemma for Jeff Hornacek. The youngster’s NBA education cannot be precipitously rushed, lest he gets routinely abused by the experienced opponents he will undoubtedly face, causing his confidence to rapidly and irretrievably wane. On the other hand, Ntilikina’s development will be stalled should he spend too much time on the bench.
Moreover, his adjustment to the NBA game would be greatly enhanced if the Knicks had a veteran point guard to show him the ropes.
Here’s the solution: According to several local media sources, Phil Jackson was greatly impressed with Derrick Rose’s testimony in his exit interview. Plus, Rose has publicly stated that he sincerely wants to return to New York.
What has to be accomplished for this scenario to happen?
Rose has to adjust his game to the necessities of the triangle. That means no more gratuitous adventures to the hoop, as well as better and quicker decisions with the ball (which includes taking more judicious shots). Throughout his career, Rose has been susceptible to over-penetrating and trying to force passes through heavy traffic while being airborne.
On the defensive end, Rose’s decision-making has been even more disastrous. How many games did the Knicks lose in the closing seconds last season when Rose was AWOL as his men made uncontested shots?
Can Rose, in his eighth season, make these basic changes in his game plan?
He does seem willing, and if he can indeed tweak his approach, the Knicks might be moved to sign him to a two-year contract at a reduced cost—say, $20-24 million.
This would be a productive endeavor, especially since it appears to be a long shot for the Knicks to sign Jeff Teague, Kyle Lowry, Chris Paul, Jrue Holiday, or any of the other established points who will soon be on the free-agent market.
If Rose is signed, Ron Baker can be his backup early in the season, with Ntilikina getting minimal daylight against selected opponents until he is ready to gradually usurp Baker.
Rose can function as the on-court mentor young Ntilikina would need.
Charley Rosen wrote:There’s another component here.
Again, according to multiple media sources in New York, it was Minnesota which initiated talks aimed at trading Ricky Rubio to the Knicks. These same sources report that the T-Wolves virtually (and constantly) begged Phil Jackson to make a deal.
But then, while the two teams got very close to agreeing on a suitable swap just hours before the trade deadline, Tom Thibodeau’s assistants convinced him to renege on the agreement.
However, with Kris Dunn — last season’s backup point — being traded to the Chicago Bulls in the Jimmy Butler move, along with Rubio’s strong finish to the 2016-17 campaign, there’s no possibility that Rubio will leave Minnesota this offseason.
So, it stands to reason that Rose redux is the Knicks’ only viable solution to their short-term point guard problem.
