The New York Knicks have agreed on a transaction to acquire Detroit Pistons guard Derrick Rose and reunite him with coach Tom Thibodeau, sources told ESPN on Sunday.
The Knicks send security guard Dennis Smith Jr. and a 2021 second-round draft pick via the Charlotte Hornets to Detroit, sources said.
The Knicks and Pistons agreed to the deal on Sunday afternoon after intermittent talks that spanned a few months, sources said.
Rose rejoins the Knicks, where he spent a turbulent 2016-17 season in the triangles offense during Phil Jackson’s regime. Rose was the youngest MVP in league history under Thibodeau with the Chicago Bulls in 2011 and played for him again with Minnesota in the 2017-2018 season.
The Knicks are experiencing a competitive resurgence under Thibodeau in his first season as a coach, emerging as the No. 6 defensive team in the NBA (107.9 points per 100). Rose’s arrival brings help to the NBA’s 25th offensive team (scored 106.9 points per 100 possessions) and creates an overlap of veteran guards including starter Elfrid Payton and Austin Rivers.
Rivers is likely to become a player seeking contenders in trade talks as teams try to bolster the backsides closer to the March 25 trade deadline.
On their way to a remodel, the Pistons worked to find Rose a destination that appealed to him. Rose, 32, has averaged 14 points and four assists on 42% of admissions this season.
For Detroit, Smith – the No. 9 overall pick in the 2017 draft – is seen as a reclamation project similar to the forwarding of Josh Jackson, who signed with the Pistons on free duty. Smith, 23, recently volunteered to join the G League bubble in Orlando to find play time.
ESPN’s Tim Bontemps contributed to this report.