Trade Scenario No. 3 – Detroit Pistons

Los Angeles Lakers Receive: G Derrick Rose, G Rodney McGruder, DET 2024 1st Round Pick (Lottery-Protected)

Detroit Pistons Receive: F Kyle Kuzma, G Alex Caruso, F Jared Dudley, LAL 2023 2nd Round Pick

Out of all the trade packages the Lakers could offer the Pistons in order to bring Derrick Rose to the Los Angeles Lakers, this one is probably the most extreme in terms of assets being traded.

Kyle Kuzma just signed a three-year, $40M contract extension to remain with the Los Angeles Lakers through the 2023-24 NBA season, so they would likely do everything they could to keep him, but hypothetically, he could be involved in this trade to bring Rose and McGruder to Los Angeles.

Rodney McGruder has barely played for the Detroit Pistons this season, but has been a solid role player in his career. In 219 career games, McGruder has averaged 5.8 points, 3.1 rebounds and has shot 33.6% from three-point range. Having a veteran player like him on the bench with experience being a perimeter-oriented wing could be useful for a team looking to win back-to-back titles. 

The Lakers would also be getting a first-round pick in 2024 in this trade scenario with the Detroit Pistons, which could be extremely important down the road.

While Derrick Rose is not a “superstar” player anymore, he is still a big name in the NBA and one of the bigger names out on the trade market currently. For years now, Rose has been trying to build himself back into a reliable, high-level player after suffering some gruesome knee injuries over the course of his career.

While it took some time, Minnesota and Detroit have given him a chance these last two seasons and he has proven that he can still contribute to any team in the NBA. In the last two seasons with Minnesota and Detroit, Derrick Rose has played in 101 games and has averaged 18.1 points, 2.6 rebounds, 5.0 assists, and shot 48.6% from the floor. 

While he is not the NBA MVP-caliber player he once was, Derrick Rose can still contribute at a high-level and can make a difference for the Lakers both on and off the court as a veteran leader. Next to LeBron James and Anthony Davis, Rose could really expand his game even more and become their third or fourth best scoring option on the team.