Why a swap for Derrick Rose makes sense for the Knicks

If the Knicks’ trade for Derrick Rose, which became official Monday, had you wondering about the intentions of the newly constructed front office, all you had to do was look to the biggest move Leon Rose has made since taking over — bringing Tom Thibodeau on board as head coach.

That was not the move of a franchise seeking a slow, public relations-focused path forward. If there was a criticism of Thibodeau that trailed him into his introductory news conference, it was that he might be too focused on winning. For a franchise that had sunk to great depths of dysfunction, that was not a worry.

So should we be surprised that Leon Rose and Thibodeau signed on to a trade to bring in a 32-year-old point guard with the last shreds of cartilage in his knees? Certainly not, but the more important point is that it’s easy to see why they would do it and hard to argue that it isn’t exactly the right move.

First, the simple part of the equation is what the Knicks gave up in the deal — unloading Dennis Smith Jr., whom the team clearly had little use for as his contract was coming to an end, and the second-round pick that came from the Charlotte Hornets (currently No. 39).

The more difficult question is how Rose fits.

Thibodeau has been effusive in his praise of starting point guard Elfrid Payton, and the coach might have to fight off the fan base if he took minutes from rookie Immanuel Quickley. When you consider that Smith had stopped being a part of the mix long ago and already had departed for the G League bubble, Rose crowds the equation, but with Rose and Quickley in particular able to play off the ball, the minutes should be easy to find. The real trouble could loom for Austin Rivers, who could see his minutes fade.

Rose isn’t an ideal fit for the Knicks, who desperately need a point guard who is a playmaker and a three-point threat to open up the lane for Julius Randle and RJ Barrett. But Rose can help an offensively challenged team as a player who can create offense on his own, taking pressure off Randle as opponents revert to zone defenses.

This is the second time around in New York for Rose. The first time wasn’t without unnecessary drama, as his preseason was haunted by court proceedings for sexual assault of which he eventually was cleared. Then he disappeared for a game, heading home to Chicago without letting the franchise know of his decision. But his familiarity with Thibodeau, as well as Taj Gibson, provides a fit in New York now.

Judging by his Instagram post, Rose is happy to have come full circle and returned to New York. "Other hoopers always used to tell me that if I ever had the chance to play in the MECCA go for it. I’m getting a second chance . . . Got to make this one count. But I’m built for it."

"I know him my whole career," Gibson said Sunday. "He’s a competitor. At this stage, right now, he’s a great guy. I know his character. I know how he’s built and being back around familiar faces, he would be a great attribute for myself and most of the young guys, helping the team atmosphere, I guess."

It’s a guess worth a shot for the Knicks. Is he a long-term solution? No one expects that. But they’re a team currently in eighth place in the Eastern Conference, with hopes of a spot in the postseason rather than another offseason of dreaming of Ping-Pong balls in the draft lottery, and does he make them a little bit better?

By Steve Popper

steve.popper@newsday.com@StevePopper

Steve Popper covers the Knicks for Newsday. He has spent nearly three decades covering the Knicks and the NBA, along with just about every sports team in the New York metropolitan area.