It’s safe to say the Knicks are delighted with the trade that sent former Bulls star Derrick Rose to New York.
And it’s even safer to say the Knicks are glad to have rid themselves of some excess baggage in the process.
Posted to the team’s Twitter account is a highlight reel that welcomes Derrick to what New York is now calling Rose Garden. The highlight package includes mostly footage of Rose making players sent to the Bulls in the trade look silly.
There’s Robin Lopez missing a block on Rose. Another shot shows Rose crossing up Jerian Grant. Later, there’s a sequence of Rose beating Lopez and Jose Calderon for a reverse layup. The video includes a number of carefully selected “highlights” that shows Rose making Lopez and Calderon look silly.
The Knicks also have been showing Rose’s new uniform. Evidently, he will ditch his No. 1 in New York for No. 25, the number he wore at Simeon as a prep star to honor Benji Wilson, a Simeon star who was killed in 1984, before his senior season.
Welcome to the #Knicks, @drose. pic.twitter.com/CVQfJfzThK
— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) June 23, 2016
The Bulls acquired center Lopez, guard Calderon and guard Grant for Rose, guard Justin Holiday and the Bulls’ second-round pick in the 2017 draft.
And the Knicks might not be done raiding the Bulls’ roster. The New York post reported Thursday that Knicks president Phil Jackson — after a discussion with Rose — is targeting Joakim Noah in free agency.
Meanwhile, Rose’s college coach, John Calipari, says Rose was ready to leave his hometown team.
“First of all, I said: ‘How do you feel about leaving home?’ ” Calipari told ESPN Radio. “And he said: ‘Coach, you know I love Chicago, you know what I wanted to do here, great experience, the fans. But I’m excited about the next step, the next phase.’
“And I said to him: ‘You know what? It’s time to hit the restart button and go back to where you were.’ ”