Knicks trade rumors include potential Derrick Rose-Ricky Rubio deal, according to reports

The New York Knicks and Minnesota Timberwolves have discussed a trade centered around swapping point guards Derrick Rose and Ricky Rubio, according to ESPN’s Ian Begley and Brian Windhorst.

A Rose trade between the Knicks and Timberwolves would reunite the point guard with his former coach, Tom Thibodeau, who is now the coach and president of basketball operations in Minnesota. Rose and Thibodeau both left the Chicago Bulls over the past couple years after a lengthy partnership that included several playoff appearances.

Now Thibodeau could be angling to get back the 2011 NBA MVP, and possibly in exchange for his current starting point guard. Rubio has been in trade rumors for years since his career in Minnesota started to sputter, and Windhorst said on SportsCenter Monday that he is one of the most likely players to be moved before the trade deadline on Thursday.

The Timberwolves aren’t the only team talking to the Knicks about Rose, who will be a free agent in the summer, according to ESPN, but they could make a compelling offer based on Rubio. It could be an interesting backcourt shakeup for two teams that haven’t lived up to expectations all season.

The Knicks and Timberwolves could each use a jolt as their seasons flounder despite some preseason excitement. Neither team is thrilled with its point guard situation, and now is the time to do something about it unless you’re going to wait until the summer.

Rose and Thibodeau have the benefit of familiarity, and that could allow Rose to quickly acclimate himself to his new team. He wouldn’t suddenly turn around the Timberwolves from the 13th seed in the Western Conference, but he could be a short-term upgrade on Rubio, whose development has stagnated in recent years. Minnesota is only 3.5 games out of the eighth seed, so a nice run could at least get them a playoff berth.

For the Knicks, Rubio would give them a starting point guard for the next couple years. He’s signed for the next two seasons after this one at nearly $29 million total, so he’d solidify that spot instead of needing to find a solution when Rose walks. It wouldn’t be some transformative move, but it’d give them some cost certainty at a starting position while they figure out how to build around Kristaps Porzingis.

The Timberwolves aren’t that close to a playoff spot right now, so it’s not clear why they’d want to add Rose, who wouldn’t be with the team beyond this season. Even if he’s better than Rubio, the odds are against leapfrogging five teams to get into the playoffs. And while Minnesota might be ready to move on from Rubio, it seems like there would be more appealing trade offers than receiving a couple months of Rose.

Rubio also might not be the best fit for the Knicks. His offensive game has never come together, as he’s still a poor shooter in just about every situation and contributes largely via playmaking. He would definitely help on defense, where the Knicks are 25th in efficiency, but with a salary of more than $14 million per year, he may not be the ideal solution.

There appears to be a pretty good chance that the Timberwolves trade Rubio, but not necessarily to the Knicks for Rose. That’s just one option on the table for both teams, and Thibodeau may decide that reuniting with his former star isn’t the best avenue to mix up his point guard rotation.

Still, the two sides are reportedly talking, and Rubio seems to be out there for the taking. If Thibodeau really wants to team back up with Rose, he probably has the pieces to make it happen.

Probability a trade gets done: 4/10