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Derrick Rose 'Wants to Be a Mentor' to Knicks' Young Players After Trade
February 10, 2021
Derrick Rose has some goals for his second go-round on the New York Knicks.
The veteran, whom the Detroit Pistons sent to New York in exchange for Dennis Smith Jr. and the Charlotte Hornets' 2021 second-round pick, said he "wants to be a mentor to the young guys" and "show that I can hoop a little bit" with the Knicks (h/t Ian Begley of SNY).
Rose previously played for the Knicks during the 2016-17 campaign. This will be his third stint under Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau.
Thibodeau coached Rose on the Chicago Bulls starting in 2010-11, when he became the youngest MVP in league history, then reunited with him on the Minnesota Timberwolves during the 2017-18 campaign.
Rose averaged 14.2 points and 4.2 assists through 15 games for Detroit before the trade. He is in the final year of his contract and will enter free agency this offseason.
Rose made his return to the Knicks on Tuesday in a 98-96 loss to the Miami Heat. The 2008 No. 1 overall pick ended the night with 14 points on 5-of-9 shooting in 20 minutes.
If Rose wants to work with the next generation of NBA stars, he's in the right place to do it. At the start of the year, 11 of the Knicks' players were 25 or younger, according to Gilbert McGregor of NBA.com.
