Why the Knicks traded for Derrick Rose

GREENBURGH, NY — For the New York Knicks, Wednesday's acquisition of Derrick Rose signaled that however often Phil Jackson spoke of the need for patience in acquisition of talent — necessary when the team's most important asset is Kristaps Porzingis, just 20 years old — the foremost goal remains winning as quickly as possible.

Rose is the epitome of a win-now player, with an injury history that doesn't bode well for a long, extended career, and a contract that runs for just a single season more. Dealing Robin Lopez, Jerian Grant and Jose Calderon for Rose, Justin Holiday and a second round pick may not feel like giving up much of the future — but these are assets that have been packaged to bring in a player far closer in timeline to Carmelo Anthony than to Porzingis.

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"We talked about that a little bit," Jackson said of Anthony during a press conference with reporters before Thursday night's draft. "Are we moving fast enough to accomplish goals that you have for yourself and your career? Carmelo and I have talked about that, whether we're on the right timeframe for him, or is he disappointed. I think this is a positive move. He sees that as a positive move. And I think that's reinvigorating for him. I think that's good."

The question of precisely what the Knicks can expect from Rose is anything but clear. Both Jackson and new Knicks coach Jeff Hornacek positioned Rose as a third star to occupy defenses along with Anthony and Porzingis. It's understandable, considering Rose is the first former MVP to play for the Knicks since Bob McAdoo.

But Rose has not been that player since the knee injury that ended his 2011-12 season early and kept him out for all of the following year. Rose posted a Player Efficiency Rating north of 23 over those final two pre-break years. In the three seasons since returning, he's played 137 of a possible 246 games with a PER of just 14.1. For comparison sake, over that time Jeremy Lin has played 223 of 246 games with a PER of 14.5.

"For expectation, I'm not putting any number on it, Jackson said of Rose. "We go around the locker room and shake hands with guys who have played all 82 during the course of the year. We had a couple of guys do it last year, not a lot, but that's one of the priorities—guys to play every game. So we'll always put that as a benchmark. So we're hopeful he has a fully successful season and play a lot of games."

A clearly pleased Hornacek has a point guard he can at least dream on, however. The evident ambivalence with Calderon and Grant he displayed at his introductory press conference could have had something to do with knowing the Rose trade was in the works, something Jackson said predated Hornacek's arrival.

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"Derrick's going to get it most of the time on the break," Hornacek said. "And that's the way we want it. With Carmelo, Kristaps, the more shooters you have, the better. It could be a great defensive two guard who is not a point guard. You deal with who you have. If it's a dynamic point guard who can guard bigger guys, then great. But you go with what you have."

What the Knicks have is a gaping hole at center, something both Hornacek and Jackson said they hope to address in free agency. But they also have another player whose best days are supposed to come today, not tomorrow. They now have to hope those best moments aren't all in the past.

"Our main guys are Carmelo and Kristaps and Derrick, so it makes it a little bit easier to think about," Hornacek said of his plans. "And then we'll see the strengths of the other guys who fit the roster, and hope that it all fits."