Philadelphia 76ers Interested in Pistons' Derrick Rose
Sooner than later, the Philadelphia 76ers are going to have to make a move before the NBA trade deadline comes up in the next few weeks. Back in December, Sixers' General Manager, Elton Brand, made it clear he was happy with the roster he put together over the summer. Since then, though, the plans have changed a bit.
Ever since the dominant performance by the Sixers on Christmas day, the team has had its clear struggles on the offensive side of the ball. And although the Sixers are far more worried about how they produce on defense, their head coach and players have realized that a lack of offense has caused them to struggle a bit on their strong side of the ball as well.
Therefore, the Sixers' front office has been rumored to be working the phones. As a lack of three-point shooting is the clear-cut issue for the Sixers, many reports indicated that Philly was on the hunt for a perimeter shooter to bring off the bench.
But at this point, a natural point guard may be in their favor. Earlier in the week, former NBA player Tracy McGrady publically urged the Sixers to acquire Detroit Pistons point guard, Derrick Rose. As Rose continues to have a solid season on a struggling roster, many want to see the veteran find himself on a playoff-caliber team.
Considering the Sixers could use a reliable point guard to come off the bench, Rose seems to be on Philly's radar finally. However, the Sixers aren't alone in these talks.
"The Los Angeles Lakers, Philadelphia 76ers and multiple teams with championship aspirations have expressed interest in trading for Detroit Pistons guard Derrick Rose," writes Yahoo Sports' NBA Insider, Chris Haynes.
Rose, who is averaging a little over 18 points-per-game this season, has been a bright spot for the Pistons. Despite having a shaky injury history attached to his name, Rose is a definite upgrade over names such as Trey Burke and Raul Neto for the Sixers, if he can stay healthy.
Now that Philly is beginning to move their starting point guard, Ben Simmons, around as the rotations switch, Derrick Rose could be an excellent addition off the bench as the Sixers could use somebody who can create points for the offense.
If the Sixers are able to acquire Rose at the deadline, they would be taking him on for the remainder of this season, in addition to next year as well. The NBA trade deadline takes place on February 6th. At this point, the Sixers have made it obvious they will be buyers over the next couple of weeks as they look for help to make a second-half season run.
Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated. You can follow him on Twitter: @JGrasso_