The Chicago Bulls have failed to qualify for the NBA Playoffs in four straight seasons, so the front office was to be expected to pull off some maneuvers in the offseason. They already acquired Nikola Vucevic to help Zach Lavine at the trade deadline last March. Now, it is being rumored that the Bulls are in talks about a possible reunion with former MVP and number one overall pick Derrick Rose, per Bleacher Report's Jake Fischer:
Regardless of that outcome, there are strong indications from league sources that mutual interest exists between Derrick Rose and his storied hometown franchise, where he claimed league MVP honors in 2010-11. It's unclear how Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau can stand in the way of the Bulls' potential advances, and Chicago will need to shed contracts to bring on two ball-handlers at such expected salaries. In any case, Chicago will likely search for more than one point guard on the free-agent market, with a goal of pushing its Zach Lavine-Nikola Vucevic tandem into the postseason, especially as Coby White recovers from a shoulder injury.
Rose was acquired by the New York Knicks during the trade deadline from the Detroit Pistons. He immediately became a big factor for a young Knicks team who were pushing to make the playoffs. Rose averaged 14.7 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 4.7 assists while shooting 47% from the field last season. Rose finished the season as a runner-up for the NBA Sixth Man of the Year award.
Signing Rose will be big for the Bulls as the point guard will bring veteran leadership, playmaking, and scoring. Derrick Rose and the Bulls have a lot of history together as he was drafted by the Bulls during the 2008 NBA draft and won the Rookie of the Year honors. He immediately became a fan favorite even before he won the NBA MVP during the 2010-11 season.
The NBA world will be nostalgic if this reunion happens.
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