Honestly, if you try to sum up the tenure of Derrick Rose on Knicks teams by just looking at a box score, you’re gonna miss the entire point. It wasn't just about the points or the flashy drives that used to leave defenders in the dust back in Chicago. It was about something way deeper. It was about a franchise trying to find its soul and an MVP trying to find a home after the world told him he was washed.
Most people forget he actually had two very different lives in Manhattan. There was the 2016 version—the "Super Team" era that felt like a fever dream—and then the 2021 return that basically saved the modern Knicks culture.
He arrived the first time via trade from the Bulls in June 2016. He was 28. Still had some of that burst. But the vibes were... off. Phil Jackson was running things, and the fit with Carmelo Anthony and Joakim Noah looked great on paper but felt like a clunky 2011 reunion tour in reality.
The 2016 Experiment: High Stakes and Disappearing Acts
Rose averaged 18.0 points that season. Not bad, right? On paper, he was still a starting-caliber point guard in the NBA. But that season is mostly remembered for the drama. Who could forget January 2017 when he just... didn't show up for a game against the Pelicans? No call. No text. Just vanished.
He’d flown home to Chicago to be with his mother. It was human. It was messy. And it perfectly captured how disjointed those Knicks were.
Despite the solid stats, that 2016-17 team won only 31 games. Rose was a free agent that summer and headed to Cleveland, and it felt like his New York chapter was a "what if" that nobody really wanted to answer. He wasn't the same guy who won the MVP at 22. He was a man dealing with the weight of expectations he could no longer physically meet.
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The Trade That Changed Everything (Again)
Fast forward to February 2021. The Knicks are surprisingly scrappy under Tom Thibodeau. They need a vet. They need someone who knows Thibs’ brain. So they trade Dennis Smith Jr. and a second-round pick to Detroit to bring Rose back.
Critics hated it. "Another Thibs guy?" "He’s too old." "He’ll take minutes from Immanuel Quickley."
They were wrong. Every single one of them.
When Rose landed in 2021, the Knicks were 11-14. They were grit-and-grind but lacked a "closer." Rose stepped in and the team went 24-11 with him in the lineup. He didn't just play; he conducted the orchestra. He became the "Thibs Whisperer," translating the coach's screaming demands into actual basketball plays for the young guys.
Why the Second Stint Actually Mattered
If you want to know why Derrick Rose on Knicks rosters is still a beloved topic in the Garden, look at the 2021 playoffs. The Knicks got smacked by Trae Young and the Hawks, sure. But Rose was the only one who showed up. He averaged 19.4 points in that series. At 32, with knees that had been through the war, he was the best player on the floor for New York.
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He was essentially the bridge. He bridged the gap between the "lol Knicks" era and the Jalen Brunson era.
- Mentorship: He took Immanuel Quickley and Obi Toppin under his wing.
- Efficiency: He shot a career-high 41% from three in that 2021 stretch.
- Presence: He never complained when his minutes vanished in 2023.
By the time the 2022-23 season rolled around, Rose was barely playing. Thibs had shortened the rotation. Younger, faster guards were in. Most former MVPs would have made a stink. Not Pooh. He stayed on the bench, cheered louder than anyone, and kept the locker room tight.
"I'm still here to lead," he basically told reporters. And he meant it.
The Numbers Nobody Talks About
We talk about the scoring, but look at the impact on winning. In 2021, the Knicks' offensive rating jumped nearly five points when Rose was on the floor. He wasn't just a "backup." He was the engine of the second unit that routinely blew games open.
Between his two stints, he played 152 games for the Knicks. He averaged roughly 14 points. But the "Vibes Above Replacement" were off the charts.
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The Knicks eventually declined his $15.6 million team option in June 2023. It made sense. Business is business. But when he signed with Memphis shortly after, the Garden felt a little emptier. Even when he officially retired in September 2024, Knicks fans claimed him as one of their own.
What You Can Learn from the Rose Era
If you’re a fan or even a player, there’s a blueprint here. Rose showed that you don't have to be the "Main Character" to be the most important person in the room. He transitioned from the fastest guy in the league to a surgical veteran who won games with his mind.
Actionable Insights for the "Post-Rose" Knicks:
- Trust the Vet: The Knicks now look for "Rose-type" personalities—guys like Josh Hart or Donte DiVincenzo—who care about the win more than the stat sheet.
- The Thibs Connection: It proved that a coach needs an extension of himself on the floor. Without Rose, Thibs might not have lasted long enough to see the Brunson explosion.
- Appreciate the Pivot: Rose’s career is a lesson in adaptation. When your "Plan A" (athleticism) fails, your "Plan B" (IQ and grit) better be elite.
The Derrick Rose on Knicks story isn't a tragedy about what was lost. It’s a story about a guy who found a second act in the hardest place in the world to play. He came as a star, left as a legend, and helped a broken franchise remember how to win along the way.