Come summertime, Derrick Rose will experience being a free agent for the first time in his career. Although he may not be the same player he used to be, he is still expected to receive a lot of interest from around the league.
The 28-year-old Memphis product knows he still has a chance to secure a lucrative deal but made it known, via ESPN's Ian Begley, what his priority is before he signs his next contract.
“Not even thinking money. I've got more than enough money saved. If I stopped playing basketball now, I'll be all right. I want to win. I want to be happy and feel at peace with myself wherever I'm at. But being at the negotiating table, you never know. I'm not going to negotiate with people where money is the No. 1 thing I'm asking for. I want to win.”
Rose also added that he wants to remain in New York, but will consider other possibilities that may open for him once free agency starts.
“This will be the first time I'll be a free agent. I don't know how that process goes. After the season, me, my agent, my brothers, family will have to talk about it. Of course I want to be here, just being in this environment, being in New York, being at the Garden every other night – it's a blessing. But, again, I have to really talk it over with my agent and my brothers.”
After missing numerous games in the past few years due to injury, the former MVP has remained healthy this season and is playing at a high level once again. He is averaging 17.8 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 4.4 assists in 62 games. More importantly for him, he is proving that he still has a lot left in the tank after raising his stock with his production this year.
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