New York Notes: Rose, Barrett, Bridges, Thomas

Responding to rumors that he’d be pursued by the Suns if he reaches a buyout agreement with the Knicks, point guard Derrick Rose told reporters on Saturday that he hasn’t “talked to anybody” about seeking a buyout.

“I haven’t even thought about it. I’m locked in to my thing right now. It’s kind of hard to think about something that I’ve never pursued and never talked about with them,” Rose said, per Peter Botte of The New York Post. “… Y’all heard something? I’ve just been locked in, doing my recovery. (I) talk to (head coach Tom Thibodeau) about the team, talk to (president) Leon (Rose) about the team, but other than that, I haven’t talked to them about (a buyout).”

Players who are waived on or before March 1 retain their playoff eligibility if they sign with a new team before the end of the regular season, so if Rose is going to be bought out it would probably have to happen in the next few days. However, the former MVP gave no indication that he’ll have a last-minute change of heart, pointing out that family considerations also factor into his desire to remain in New York — his son plays for the Gauchos AAU team in Manhattan, according to Botte.

“Exactly. He loves it over here. I’d probably have to talk it over with him, even before Thibs,” Rose joked.

Here’s more on the NBA’s two New York teams:

  • After finding himself on the bench during the final eight minutes of a win over Washington on Friday, Knicks wing RJ Barrett bounced back nicely on Saturday, pouring in 25 points in 29 minutes and putting up a season-high seven assists. As Andrew Crane of the New York Post relays, Thibodeau praised Barrett’s play-making and “all-around play,” though he didn’t rule out the possibility of keeping the former No. 3 pick out of closing lineups going forward. “It’s going to be what goes well, but RJ’s obviously a very important part of the team,” Thibodeau said.
  • New Nets forward Mikal Bridges is viewing the trade that sent him from Phoenix to Brooklyn in the most positive possible light, as he tells Marc J. Spears of Andscape. “It’s kind of cool just be part of this and go through that whole trade process,” Bridges said, noting that he has always wanted to try living in New York. “Just midseason going to a whole other team, different concepts, people are different. It’s just a whole other city. It’s kind of cool to me, honestly, just see what you’re made of. I know it’s not easy and I’m not going to be the person that dwells on it and (is) upset about it. I just want to take action.”
  • Nets guard Cam Thomas saw his playing time dip a little after the trade deadline, but he logged 30 minutes in Friday’s loss to Chicago and may be needed to help kickstart Brooklyn’s slumping offense, writes Brian Lewis of The New York Post. Thomas had a team-high 22 points and made 3-of-6 three-pointers.
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