Report: Knicks making Derrick Rose ‘completely available’ at trade deadline

The New York Knicks limped their way into the All-Star break and appear destined to miss the playoffs for a fourth consecutive season, and there is some speculation that their poor play could lead to a fire sale at the trade deadline. If they do decide to rebuild, trading Derrick Rose would make sense.

According to Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders, the Knicks have made Rose “completely available” in advance of Thursday’s deadline. That does not mean a deal involving the star point guard is likely, however.

The problem is that he’s owed so much as a salary cap charge, moving him would be hard. There have been more than a few insiders that wonder if the Knicks would take on some salary in exchange for moving Rose as a mechanism to obtain a player they maybe missed out on signing. However, Knicks sources said they covet the flexibility more than any of the players the Knicks could obtain at the deadline. It’s not out of the question that Rose is ultimately moved, but it’s not viewed as very probable.

Rose is averaging 17.7 points and 4.5 assists per game this season. He is set to become a free agent this summer, though he claims money is no longer his biggest motivator.

Ian Begley of ESPN.com reported on Monday that the Minnesota Timberwolves are one of several teams to reach out to the Knicks about Rose. T-Wolves coach Tom Thibodeau coached Rose for seven seasons with the Chicago Bulls.

Ultimately, Rose’s fate with the Knicks could rest in the hands of Carmelo Anthony. We all know Phil Jackson would like to trade Anthony, but Carmelo has a full no-trade clause and the latest we have heard about him makes a deal sound unlikely. If the Knicks can’t move Anthony, they may hold onto Rose to see what happens down the stretch.