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Derrick Rose was selected first overall by the Chicago Bulls in the 2008 NBA Draft. Spending only one year at Memphis, Rose was regarded as a can't-miss prospect. The Bulls were hoping to find their next superstar player to build around. For several years, they got it.
Rose was selected as the Rookie of the Year in 2009. He averaged 16.8 points and 6.3 assists per game as a neophyte and made an immediate impact that put the league on notice. After the 2010-2011 season, Rose was selected as the league's youngest MVP ever in just his third season. The Chicago star averaged 25.0 points and 7.7 assists per game. The Bulls finished with 62 wins that season and the top seed in the Eastern Conference. A successful season ended with a 4-1 series loss in the Eastern Conference Finals against LeBron James' Miami Heat.
After a series of knee injuries and doubt that he would ever play again, Rose has reinvented himself in 2018 as a member of the Minnesota Timberwolves. Minnesota was full of drama during the beginning of the season. Jimmy Butler was rumored to have altercations with the front office, which led to a trade to Philly. The Wolves needed someone to step up, and Rose has done that to the tune of 18.5 points and 4.6 assists per game. On Halloween night, Rose dropped 50 points on 19-of-31 shooting in a win against the Utah Jazz. An emotional Rose credited his teammates, but he showed that he is back and has been consistent scorer the Wolves have needed.
Rose signed a one-year deal in Minnesota and will be a free agent after the season. The question remains, at 30 years old, what's next for Derrick Rose?
Minnesota's Miracle
Rose has been incredible so far this season, which is a big reason why he should re-sign with Minnesota. The Wolves currently sit at 15-18 in a very competitive Western Conference. They inked Karl-Anthony Towns to a supermax deal that will keep him around long term. Their commitment to Andrew Wiggins is obvious given the whole Butler scenario at the beginning of the season. With both of them being young players, Minnesota could use a veteran player who has been around to lead them, and there is no better position to have this than at point guard.
The Wolves feature a group of point guards that includes Rose, Jeff Teague and Tyus Jones. Rose's stock is rising, but he still shouldn't be too expensive at the end of the season. Teague has struggled this season and may not be the answer at the position. Jones was a superstar at Duke who led them to a national championship, but he is a role player with a questionable future as he heads to restricted free agency.
It makes a lot of sense for Minnesota to bring Rose back and move forward with him playing a key role, assuming he keeps up this terrific play.
The Return to Chicago?
Some might think that Rose should return to the hometown team that drafted him, but the Bulls don't seem like the best fit considering his history. He suffered a torn ACL that kept him out for for the entire 2012-2013 season and then only played 10 games the following season due to a meniscus tear. He suffered another torn meniscus in Chicago and dealt with a handful of other injuries.
Rose turned some Bulls fans off when he was rumored to be healthy in 2013 but was keeping himself off the court. Rose made comments over the course of his time in Chicago about how he was “thinking about his body long term” and that he “did not want to be sore at his son's graduation.”
Chicago got tired of waiting around for Rose to return to form and eventually traded him to the Knicks. He had plenty of issues in New York and then Cleveland before finding his niche with Minnesota. While Rose is looking more like his old self and would be welcomed back with open arms by many Bulls fans, it is time to move on. And as much as Rose loves his hometown, based on recent comments about Chicago's front office, he might not even have any interest in playing for the Bulls again.
Rose to LA?
Let's have some fun here. Rose is still a high-profile name in the league, so what better place to end up than Los Angeles? The Lakers just signed LeBron James, who is an outspoken admirer of Rose and a former teammate. Los Angeles brought in Rajon Rondo as a veteran point guard presence to play alongside LeBron, and perhaps Rose could follow in those footsteps.
On the Lakers, Rose would have a chance to play with the best player in the world on a team with rich history in one of the best basketball arenas in the world. Not to mention, Anthony Davis — another Chicago guy — could also land there.
Re-signing with Minnesota may be Rose's best play, but it is fun to think about him teaming up with LeBron after some of their previous battles against each other.
