The Knicks ‘will take a look’ at re-signing Derrick Rose, per report

The New York Knicks haven’t had any conversations about re-signing soon-to-be free agent point guard Derrick Rose during the offseason. But head coach Jeff Hornacek says it’s at least a plan to look at whether the team can bring back its third-leading scorer for next season.

”When the season ends we’ll all sit down and try to figure out the plan going forward. Derrick did a lot of good things for us this year,” Hornacek said on Tuesday, according to ESPN.com’s Nick Friedell. “When we go over [our plans] at the end of the year, it’s a guy we’ll definitely take a look at and see if we can bring him back.”

The 28-year-old Rose averaged 18 points and 4.4 assists per game for the Knicks this season, but he battled a string of nagging injuries before suffering a season-ending torn meniscus in his left knee in a March 27 game against the Detroit Pistons. It was Rose’s fourth major knee injury in five seasons.

He also missed a game earlier in the season without informing his teammates.

New York traded for Rose as part of an offseason overhaul meant to set the team on the path to the playoffs. But the Knicks failed to meet expectations, falling out of the playoff race now with a 30-48 record — good for fourth-worst in the Eastern Conference.

Still, Rose showed shades of the player who became the youngest Most Valuable Player in NBA history in 2011. As the season raged on, the Knicks guard got his legs beneath him, as evidenced by his higher conversion rate on mid-range jump shots. He also showed some of the speed and explosiveness that made him one of the more dangerous point guards in the league years ago.

“The way he can break down the defense — I think he was starting, as the season went on, got a little more comfortable with that offense,” Hornacek said. “So it’s an unfortunate break for him he has to have another surgery, but I’m sure he’ll come back strong from it. He worked really hard last summer to get his body in good shape, so I’m sure he’ll do that again.”

The Knicks have shifted gears toward focusing on implementing the Triangle Offense. Rose called that same offense “random basketball” and has publicly expressed his difficulty understanding the system that team president Phil Jackson implemented to win 11 NBA championships.

Rose’s legs held up for most of the season, but his latest injury darkens the cloud of uncertainty hovering above the former MVP’s health in the coming seasons.

The Knicks are stuck somewhere between rebuilding and retooling. They own at least a top-eight pick in this year’s draft and Rose’s $21.5 million cap hold comes off the books when they renounce him in free agency.

If the Knicks are rebuilding, committing to Rose long term would be counterintuitive.

The Knicks could likely land Rose at a discount given his injury history. The top free-agent point guards are near locks to re-sign with their current teams. Those include Stephen Curry, Chris Paul, and Kyle Lowry. George Hill, who is having a career year with the Jazz, could also re-sign in Utah, though he would fit the mold of a Triangle-type point guard.

As would Jrue Holiday, whose brother Justin Holiday, has carved out a role as a three-and-D wing for the Knicks this season. It is unclear whether Jrue will leave the New Orleans Pelicans for New York or whether Justin (who also becomes a free agent this summer) would leave the Knicks for the Pelicans.

Other unrestricted free-agent point guards available this summer include Jeff Teague, Patrick Mills, Shaun Livingston and Darren Collison. An argument can be made for Rose’s positioning at the top of these remaining guards.