The Los Angeles Lakers stood pat at the 2019-20 NBA trade deadline despite having interest in several players.
The Lakers were tied to players such as Marcus Morris, Derrick Rose, and Andre Iguodala but ultimately made no moves due to high asking prices and a difficulty to match salaries. In addition, it was reported that a number of teams had interest in Alex Caruso.
The Lakers have since recovered well, signing Markieff Morris and Dion Waiters while waiving DeMarcus Cousins and Troy Daniels. The team’s post-deadline moves showed they had no need to make a hasty decision at the trade deadline. However, they certainly did their due diligence.
Recent reports suggest the Lakers offered a package including Caruso and draft picks to the Detroit Pistons in exchange for Rose, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic:
Meanwhile, sources say the Lakers offered a package involving Alex Caruso and draft compensation for Derrick Rose, which was rejected as the Pistons had set a high value on the former NBA MVP. The Lakers stood pat at the deadline — and VP of basketball operations Rob Pelinka instead upgraded the roster post-deadline. The Lakers remain the No. 1 seed in the West at 47-13.
While trading Caruso may not have sat well with fans had it gone through, there’s no doubting what Rose could have brought to the table. Rose is a former NBA Most Valuable Player who is playing his best basketball in years after finally getting healthy.
Rose coming in off the bench for LeBron James would have given this team necessary depth at the point guard position and would have ensured that a ball handling scorer was always on the court.
However, Caruso’s fit on this roster is undeniable as he and James form one of the best duos in the NBA in terms of net rating. Caruso’s defensive instincts and ability to make the right play have helped this team secure a number of wins during the 2019-20 NBA season.
Getting Rose could have been great, but keeping Caruso certainly doesn’t hurt.