NBA Rumors: Derrick Rose unlikely to get a buyout from Detroit Pistons despite interest from Lakers
Over the past week, several players have agreed to buyouts in order to join contending teams ahead of the push for the playoffs. Following his resurgent year with the Detroit Pistons, there has been speculation that Derrick Rose could be among the individuals that became available over the next few days, although ESPN’s Brian Windhorst told The Hoop Collective Podcast that Rose won't be on the move this season:
There’s no chance (of a buyout this season). From what I understand, when the Lakers called the Pistons and expressed an interest in trading, the Pistons said 'hey, we appreciate you calling, but we are not trading him. Dwane Casey likes him. We think he’s going to be important for us next year.’
After establishing himself as one of the best backup guards in the league with the Minnesota Timberwolves last season, the Pistons opted to sign Rose to a two-year, $15 million contract during the 2019 offseason. The scale of the deal was criticized by some, although Rose has proven his critics wrong, and has been Detroit's best performer during a poor season.
Despite playing just 26.2 minutes per contest, Rose holds season averages of 18.0 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 5.7 assists - and the 2011 MVP is also shooting a career-high 48.6 percent from the field.
The Pistons opted to trade Andre Drummond ahead of the trade deadline, while Blake Griffin will miss the remainder of the season through injury ahead of a potential trade next summer. This makes Detroit's stance to keep Rose slightly surprising, and teams such as the Los Angeles Lakers will now have to look towards other options if they want to improve their roster ahead of the postseason.