Shelburne: Kobe Bryant 'Loved' Idea of Lakers Trading for Derrick Rose in 2020

Late Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant reportedly "loved the idea" of the team acquiring Derrick Rose during the 2019-20 season.

Bryant believed Rose could have been a "great contributor" for the Lakers as they looked to bolster their roster ahead of last season's trade deadline, ESPN's Ramona Shelburne said on the Hoop Collective podcast.

The Lakers were regularly linked to Rose ahead of the deadline but were never able to complete a trade with the Detroit Pistons. They acquired Dennis Schroder during the following offseason to take some of the ball-handling pressure off LeBron James.

Rose was recently acquired by the New York Knicks, reuniting him with Tom Thibodeau. The 2011 NBA MVP and Thibodeau have been together in three different stops (Chicago, Minnesota, New York), and it's likely Rose's move to the Knicks will provide him with a brighter individual spotlight than playing for the Lakers would have.

Bryant advocating for Rose was reportedly one of the rare times he inserted himself into the team's personnel talks after retiring at the end of the 2015-16 campaign.