The point guard position has been an area of great trouble for the New York Knicks since the turn of the century. Sadly, it seems as though the revolving door will continue to turn this summer. 

Derrick Rose was brought in this past summer and has played surprisingly well. Unfortunately, he hasn’t meshed well with New York’s frontcourt duo of Carmelo Anthony and Kristaps Porzingis.

All season it’s felt like this team is trying to fit a square scoring machine peg at the point guard spot into one round, smooth hole (known as the Triangle/Hornacek offense).

The Knicks front office brass aggressively tried to trade him at the deadline, but talks collapsed at the final hurdle. Therefore, it is clear that is doesn’t seem the Knicks are sold on Rose and may look to replace him in July.

It may only be March, but that hasn’t stopped the rumors from flying already. The latest rumor concerns a point guard from the west. So here are the New York Knicks way too early point guard possibilities:

Derrick Rose

• New York Knicks
• 17.6 points per game
• 4 rebounds per game
• 4.4 assists per game
• 2.4 turnovers per game
• 46% FG, 23% 3PT, 87% FT

Derrick Rose was brought in to break the Knicks run of woeful point guards and he has exceeded expectations this season, but not all has gone to plan.

Rose’s 32.4 minutes per game is the highest since his first injury and his 46 percent shooting is the highest since Rose’s sophomore season. Despite his good play, however, things haven’t quite gone to plan this season. Rose has received criticism for his lack of passing and inability to find teammates on drives as well as his sub-par defense.

Derrick Rose has had his ups and downs this year but has been the Knicks most consistent player behind Carmelo Anthony. His drives have been a sight for sore eyes as has his athleticism. For Rose to be a more viable option or a better fit, he would need to relocate his three-point shot again and improve his defense to a point where it is acceptable.

Rose may have gone on record saying he would like a max deal. That would be $150 million over five years, but New York does own his bird rights. Rose’s $21 million comes off the books and the Knicks would have that to spend in free agency but also re-sign Rose once over the salary cap. I.e Phil Jackson can bring in other players using the cap space and still keep Rose.

Chris Paul

• (Player Option)
• Los Angeles Clippers
• 17.4 points per game
• 5.4 rebounds per game
• 9.8 assists per game
• 2.4 turnovers per game
• 46% FG, 39% 3PT, 87% FT

Chris Paul is slated to earn $24.2 million next season. However, it’s widely expected that nine-time NBA All-Star will exercise his player option and test the free agent market. That shouldn’t be a surprise as the money being thrown around for a player of his caliber exceeds $35 million per season.

Paul is just Mr. Consistency. You know exactly what you are going to get night in and night out. He rarely fails to deliver. The 32-year-old has developed a superb all-round game, but his playmaking ability is world-class. Over eleven and a half season Paul has a career average of 9.9 assists per contest with an assist to turnover ratio of 4.16 which is outstanding.

Chris Paul is also an excellent mid-range shooter, converting on 49 percent of his attempts from 10-16 feet and 48 percent from 16 feet out to the three-point line. Further to this, his three point shot is also reliable, nailing 38 percent of his shots from distance since joining the Clippers.

The 12-year pro is also an excellent defender who has fast hands which have led to a career average of 2.2 steals per game. Paul also doesn’t shy away from physicality and despite being undersized he is never beaten easily.

Despite his abilities, there are a few question marks surrounding Paul; firstly his age of 32 years and secondly his durability. Paul missed last year’s postseason, 22 games this year and 20 in 2014.

Could Carmelo Anthony’s longstanding friendship draw Paul away from the stuck-in-the-mud Clippers?

Jrue Holiday

• New Orleans Pelicans
• 15.9 points per game
• 4 rebounds per game
• 7.4 assists per game
• 3.2 turnovers per game
• 46% FG, 38% 3PT, 71% FT

After struggling with injuries and dealing with family situations since arriving in New Orleans, Jrue Holiday has found his footing again this season.

Holiday, a one-time NBA All-Star, is a high versatile offensive player. He has a fairly respectable career mark of 37 percent from long range as well as a 51 percent conversion rate from 14-18 feet. Moreover, Holiday attempts close to one-third of his shots from around the basket where he finishes 61 percent of his attempts.

Holiday is also a terrific playmaker. He currently showcases an average of seven assists per night in four seasons with the Pelicans. the 26-year-old can score but has a pass-first mentality and he is especially good in pick-and-roll/pop situations.

Jrue Holiday is also an above average defender, holding opponents to 38 percent overall this season. What also makes this impressive is that his opponents take 12.4 shots per game. Holiday also forces 44.7 percent of his opponents attempts to be from long range where they convert only 30 percent of the time. He also has quick has and knack for reading the game which has contributed to a career average of 1.5 steals per game.

Can the Knicks make New York a Holiday destination with both Jrue and Justin?

George Hill

• Utah Jazz
• 17.6 points per game
• 3.3 rebounds per game
• 4.1 assists per game
• 1.6 turnovers per game
• 48% FG, 40% 3PT, 80% FT

George Hill won’t blow you away. He is simply a solid veteran guard. He continues to get the job done. Hill has had somewhat of a resurgence with the Jazz this season and his value has gone up considerably.

Hill has become mainly a three-point with Utah and matches a career high of 40 percent from last season. The 30-year-old also takes 40 percent of his attempts from long range which goes to show and prove his reliability. Hill also connects on 49 percent of his looks from 14-18 feet as well as finishing at a 67 percent clip within three feet.

The nine-year veteran’s assist numbers may not blow you away but he averages just 0.3 dimes that Rose whilst having a usage rate that is 12 percent less. Hill is the type of guard who comes down and initiates the offense, rather than being ball dominant, many due to having other teammates who are able to handle the ball.

George Hill has a reputation for being a good defender but that isn’t all that true. In actual fact, he is fairly poor. His opponents are shooting on average 45 percent overall and 41 percent from downtown over the last two seasons.

Jeff Teague

• Indiana Pacers
• 15.3 points per game
• 4.2 rebounds per game
• 8 assists per game
• 2.7 turnovers per game
• 44% FG, 35% 3PT, 86% FT

Jeff Teague became the odd man out in Atlanta but he has bounced back and made the most of being in a contract year with the Indiana Pacers.

The one-time NBA All-Star’s primary function is as a playmaker and he has done that exceptionally well.  Teague’s average of 8.0 assists per contest is a career high and compared to last season’s 5.9 it’s a dramatic jump. Even more impressive is that his assists have gone up by 2.1, but his usage rate is down 4.5 percent from last season. This displays Teague’s effectiveness with the ball in his hands this season.

The 28-year-old’s shooting won’t blow you away but since his All-Star season, Teague is shooting a respectable 37 percent from long range, including a career-high 40 percent in 2016 on a career-high 3.5 attempts per game. He is, however, having a career year in the mid-range, shooting 52 percent on attempts between 12-18 feet. Dissapointly, Teague’s finishing ability has diminished since being named an All-Star. Coming off a career-high 60 percent from within three feet in 2015 he has slumped to 56 percent and now 53 percent this year.

Teague as a defender is, well, odd. Overall his opponents shoot 45 percent, a woeful 54 percent from two-point range but somehow holds them to 31 percent on threes on four attempts per game.

Darren Collison

• Sacramento Kings
• 13.5 points per game
• 2.2 rebounds per game
• 4.2 rebounds per game
• 1.6 turnovers per game
• 48% FG, 43% 3PT, 86% FT

Darren Collison is now a seven-year NBA veteran and he has contributed and produced on all five teams he has played for.

Collison is quite an efficient scorer and that has always been the case. He has career averages of 12.7 points per game on 47 percent shooting overall. Collison also hasn’t been one-dimensional either. He is shooting 38 percent from distance throughout his career and 41.5 percent in three years with Sacramento. Further to this, he has a quality mid-range game. Collison has converted 45 percent of his attempts from 12-18 feet. Collison is known to be an attacking player who looks to score but his passing numbers are decent. He is averaging 4.2 per game this season whilst on a usage rate of 19.7 percent. That is 11 percentage points lower than current Knick, Derrick Rose.

Defensively Collison is very similar to the Jeff Teague. An overall defensive field goal percentage of 45 percent, a poor 54 percent on two-pointers but just 33 percent on threes. Despite the contrasting numbers, the 29-year-old does average 1.1 steals per game for his career which shows he’s fairly component on the defensive end.

Patty Mills

• San Antonio Spurs
• 9.6 points per game
• 1.8 rebounds per game
• 3.3 assists per game
• 1.3 turnover per game
• 45% FG, 42% 3PT, 85% FT

Patty Mills has turned himself from an end-of-the-bench player to being one of Coach Greg Popovich’s most trusted players.

Mills is an excellent shooter and that is his area of expertise. He has shot 40 percent from long range as a Spur and the lowest it got was 34 percent which was in the year when dealing with shoulder troubles. He is shooting 42 percent this season and 54 percent of his overall attempts come from that distance. Further to this, he is a decent mid-range shooter connecting on 43 percent of his mid-range attempts.

The Australian is listed as a point guard but plays more like a two. He is not ball-dominant, but brings the ball down the floor and inmates the play before spotting up. 3.3 assists per game may not seem impressive but it translates to 5.9 per 36 minutes which is close to the minutes a starter plays and that would be a fair number for someone who isn’t ball- dominant.

The 28-year-old is also just an average defender. His opponents shoot 46 percent overall, 53 percent on two-pointers but he is a fairly good perimeter defender allowing opponents to shoot a lowly 30 percent from three point range and only 33 percent from 15 feet out to the long line.