Chicago Bulls "Expected" to Show Interest in Derrick Rose
The Chicago Bulls have officially been tied to a Derrick Rose reunion.
The New York Knicks officially opted to turn down Rose’s team option this weekend, setting him up to become an unrestricted free agent later this week. Now, only a couple of days later, long-time NBA insider Marc Stein has reported that Chicago is one of several teams that could have interest in the veteran guard.
“Phoenix, Milwaukee and Chicago have all quickly been cited as teams expected to have a level of interest in former MVP Derrick Rose after the Knicks declined to pick up their $15.6 million team option on Rose for next season,” Stein wrote on his Substack (h/t HoopsHype).
I’m surprised not at all surprised for a couple of reasons.
Firstly, during Arturas Karnisovas’ first full offseason in Chicago, his brain trust expressed interest in Rose. The former MVP was fresh off helping New York crack the postseason for the first time since 2013. The Bulls were still in need of point guard depth, and the two sides reportedly had a mutual interest in a reunion.
Rumor has it Chicago even went on to make Rose an offer that summer. But the Knicks went on to blow it out of the water with a three-year, $43 million deal to keep Rose with head coach Tom Thibodeau.
The other main reason I can believe Chicago would express interest in Rose is because they want to sell tickets. Finishing 40-42 and failing to crack to the postseason in embarrassing fashion last season, signing Rose feels like exactly the kind of “crowd-pleasing” move the Chicago Bulls would go for to distract from the real work that needs to be done. Must I remind everyone of the Dwyane Wade signing?
My thoughts on this topic haven’t changed at all since I wrote about it earlier this offseason. So, for the sake of not repeating myself, I’m just going to copy and paste a chunk from that post below:
With all that said, no one can sit here and pretend Rose is the answer to really any of the Bulls’ problems. Does he add to the point guard depth? Sure. But he’s never been a traditional facilitator nor can Chicago rely on him to stay healthy. The last time he played in 60+ games came during the 2016-17 season. He’s failed to appear in 27 or more games in each of the past two seasons. We simply do not know what he has left in the tank. And, even coming off the bench, the last thing the Bulls need is someone who they can’t trust to stay on the floor. I’d also be remiss not to mention that Rose has shot just 43.2 percent from the field over the past two seasons. Plus, while we can give him some props for improving as a 3-point shooter over the years, it’s not like he’s become a high-volume threat. We all know how badly the Bulls need to prioritize shooting. I’m not trying to be Mr. Fun Killer. I’ll freely admit that signing Rose would be an awesome story that would likely bring a bunch of happy fans into the United Center. But that also shouldn’t be what this front office is striving for! Indeed, I can envision the Bulls doing this and milking the heck out of it while they ride through another season of mediocrity. It’s the perfect kind of low-impact move that feels far bigger. And, look, I’d love to be proven wrong! I’d love for Rose to return and prove to be a vital part of the second unit who helps push the Bulls into the postseason. But I’m just not confident that will happen. Likewise, there just isn’t really any way this move helps the Bulls long-term.
I’m not going to lie and say that my heart will not warm up a bit if Rose is back in a Bulls jersey. I also think there are worse veteran locker room guys for young guards like Coby White and Ayo Dosunmu. But the fact of the matter is that – outside of merely playing the point guard position – adding Rose doesn’t solve any of Chicago’s problems.
If this headlines the big free agency Karnisovas hinted at during his post-draft press conference, the Bulls troubles are only bound to continue.
Source: bleachernation.com
