Agent Optimistic About Rose’s Future With Knicks

Although the Knicks haven’t yet formally explored a contract extension for Derrick Rose, the point guard recently said he’d be open to the idea, and agent B.J. Armstrong expressed optimism about his client’s future in New York this week. During in an appearance on SiriusXM NBA Radio, Armstrong called New York a “great” fit and suggested there’s a “good possibility” Rose remains with the Knicks beyond this season, assuming the team wants to get something done.

“I really do [think so],” Armstrong said. “I know he really enjoys the city of New York. He enjoys the talent, the challenges of playing in New York. He’s embraced it. Sometimes you just get a fit, and he’s really embraced the city. … He sees this as the right place for him to be at the right time in the right moment. Playing with a young kid like [Kristaps Porzingis] and Carmelo [Anthony] and all the players and things they’ve done there, I think this just presents a challenge for him that he’s really embraced.”

Rose is one of about two dozen NBA veterans who is eligible to sign a contract extension during the 2016/17 season. For players who are no longer on their rookie contracts, extensions are rare, but if three years have passed since a player signed his current contract, he’s eligible for a new one. Rose, who is in the final year of his deal, signed it way back in December of 2011.

[RELATED: Players eligible for veteran contract extensions]

Still, while the Knicks reportedly aren’t ruling out an extension for Rose, the two sides haven’t engaged in any discussions about a new deal so far, as Armstrong said during his SiriusXM appearance.

“I’ve been hearing a lot of that and reading a lot about it in the papers,” Rose’s agent said. “It’s something they haven’t brought up to me or anyone in our camp, so I’m not sure where that’s coming from. I think right now the best thing for everyone involved is to allow the game to take care of itself. … All that other stuff, contracts and other stuff, will take care of itself. It’s not anything that we’re concerned about at the moment.”

Rose, 28, would be eligible for an extension starting at around $23MM, and worth up to about $75MM over three years. He’d be eligible for a larger starting salary and a longer deal if he waited until free agency, though based on his modest production so far, it’s not clear if any teams will be willing to make him a huge long-term offer along those lines.