After being traded to the Utah Jazz and subsequently waived, Derrick Rose is now a free agent once again. With the deadline to sign with an NBA team on Thursday, Rose's time is running out. If he's still able to contribute to a championship contender, where are the best fits for him?

Before listing possible teams for Rose to join, it must first be determined how much Rose will be able to give his new team. In 2010-11, Rose became the youngest player ever to win an NBA MVP award. His slashing ability was rivaled only by that of LeBron James. His athletic finishing was special. But ever since, a consistent string of injuries has stripped Rose of his place atop the NBA's best.

After being traded to the New York Knicks for the 2016-17 season, Rose averaged 18 points and 4.4 assists on 47 percent shooting in 64 games for them. Those 18 points came on 15.3 shots per game, which is the perfect example of the player Rose has become; an inefficient chucker who cannot shoot the three or defend well.

The best role for him is as a fifth guard, who can play around ten minutes per night with the reserves, scoring a few points.

Derrick Rose
CP

Rose can still get to the basket well, but his lack of shooting ability significantly dampens his effectiveness. In the era of the three-pointer, the game has passed up Rose. But the Cleveland Cavaliers decided to give him a shot, as they needed both a backup point guard and a possible replacement for Kyrie Irving. Rose ended up playing just 16 games for Cleveland, averaging 9.8 points and 1.6 assists on 44 percent shooting. He wasn't efficient on offense, wasn't getting other players involved, and his defense was bad as well. The Cavs decided to part with Rose and Isaiah Thomas in favor of Jordan Clarkson and George Hill, and are now reaping the benefits of that decision.

So we've established that Rose is no longer a starting-caliber player, and should only be considered as an end-of-bench guy. Which teams could offer him that position?

1. Chicago Bulls

Rose will most likely return to Chicago to retire at the end of his career, and from recent reports, that could be sooner than later. Regardless, the Bulls could use some veteran leadership. Zach LaVine and Kris Dunn are the Bulls' two young point guards, and Rose could serve as a mentor. As he is only 29, Rose may not be ready to serve in that capacity as of yet.

Derrick Rose
ClutchPoints

2. Minnesota Timberwolves

When he signed with Cleveland for the veteran's minimum, Rose stated that his only goal was to win an NBA championship. In order to do that, he would have to join a playoff-bound team, and the T-Wolves are certainly that. Rose would be reunited with his old coach, Tom Thibodeau, who coached Rose during the peak of his career. Rose would have plenty of competition for playing time, as Minnesota's guards include Jeff Teague, Aaron Brooks, Jamal Crawford, and Tyus Jones.

3. San Antonio Spurs

San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich has always been able to get the most out of his players, so perhaps he would be able to do the same with Rose. Tony Parker isn't able to play many minutes due to his advanced age, so adding Rose would give Patty Mills some help. Rose could provide some bench scoring, which would certainly help San Antonio's chances against Golden State or Houston.

Derrick Rose
ClutchPoints

4. Golden State Warriors

Rose is essentially the exact opposite of the kind of player the Warriors look for, but they could definitely use another ball-handler. Joining Golden State would be Rose's best chance of winning a ring, as they've won two of the past three NBA Finals and will look to repeat this June.

5. China

If he cannot latch onto an NBA team, which is becoming increasingly likely, Rose could elect to join a different professional basketball league. In 2011, Rose signed a 14-year $185 million contract with Adidas, and in order to keep his end of that, he cannot retire from basketball. Rose still has a large and dedicated fan base in China, so he would attract plenty of attention if he were to play there. The Chinese league is not on the NBA's level, so Rose would almost certainly dominate. He has quite a bit of pride, so it's not too realistic to expect him to leave the NBA altogether.

derrick rose

Looking back on Rose's career, it's depressing to see where he once was, and now, he may not even be offered a contract for the rest of the season. Teams are wary of his seemingly never-ending string of injuries and are questioning his dedication to basketball after the extended leave of absence he took earlier this season where he was pondering his professional future. No matter what happens this season or the next, NBA fans will forever look at Derrick Rose and think “what could have been?”