The New York Knicks are reportedly interested in trading for Chicago Bulls point guard and former NBA MVP Derrick Rose.Per ESPN.com's Ian Begley, new Knicks head coach Jeff Hornacek and general manager Steve Mills are looking to upgrade their point guard position, and Rose is a primary target. The team has only had internal talks at this point.Whether or not Chicago is willing to trade Rose, who will be a free agent after this upcoming season, is not yet known, per Begley. There have also been rumorsinvolving the Bulls fielding trade calls for Jimmy Butler, according to ESPN.com's Marc Stein and Chad Ford, so the team seems willing to shake up its backcourt.According to Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders, Rose would be a preferred trade piece for the Bulls:League sources in Italy say the Bulls are actively open to moving guard Derrick Rose and that seems to be the first choice rather than shopping Butler, Kyler wrote.Rose is entering the final year of his deal and has commented numerous times on the ballooning salary cap and his next contract, much to the dismay of the Bulls front office and a large number of Bulls fans. Add that to an on-again, off-again intensity and there is a sense that both sides would welcome a change, especially with Rose entering a free agent year.Butler said earlier this week that he wants to remain in Chicago and form a top-notch backcourt with Rose, perComcast SportsNet Chicago."There are so many things that we have in common that when we utilize those things and play together like that, I think we can be just as unguardable as anybody else," Butler said.The Knicks' current point guard situation includes Jose Calderon as the only true floor general, with Jerian Grant and Tony Wroten as 2-guards who can contribute at the point.Rose would be a nice fit in Hornacek's fast-paced, wide-open style of offense. However, Rose has been hampered by injuries, as he's only played in half of Chicago's regular-season games in the past four years, per Begley.Rose averaged 16.4 points and 4.7 assists in 2015-16, which were both his second-worst season totals in his career.He is only 27 with one year remaining on his contract, so Rose presents no short-term risk and would immediately help New York. Yet the Knicks are limited in young assets and have no draft picks in 2016. Should they continue their pursuit of Rose,they'll need to be careful not to offer too much for a player who is past his prime.Statistics are courtesy of ESPN.com unless otherwise noted. Contract information courtesy of Spotrac.com.
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