3 New York Knicks who definitely won’t be back next season

1. Derrick Rose

Rose has become something of a fan favorite over his two different stints with the Knicks — the 2016-17 season when he averaged 18.0 points and started 64 games, and this most recent stretch over the past two-plus seasons.

Rose is firmly a veteran backup at this point in his career and with Jalen Brunson and the rise of Immanuel Quickley, he was forced to transition into a mostly non-playing leadership role. Rose appeared in just 27 games and while the Knicks explored trade options, they ultimately decided he was more valuable as a mentor for their young guards, a challenge Rose appeared to relish.

However, his playing days aren’t completely over. Rose has a lot of miles on his legs but he’s still just 34 and there are certainly teams who will be interested in him as a veteran mentor but with a lot more minutes to offer than the Knicks will be able to next season. He is on the books for $15 million next season but it’s a club option. Given the mutual respect here, it seems likely the Knicks will decline the option, giving him the option to seek a larger role somewhere else and parting ways on good terms.

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