Derrick Rose of the New York Knicks against the Indiana Pacers.
Though Derrick Rose’s New York Knicks teammates may have nothing but boastful and complementary things to say about him, the former MVP’s time in the Big Apple appears to be approaching its conclusion.
Considering the veteran guard has been removed from the club’s active rotation entirely, coupled with the fact that his contract holds a $15.5 million team option for 2023-24, it is a rather realistic possibility Leon Rose and company will wind up declining the third season of his current deal which, in turn, would relegate him to the free agency market.
Should this become a reality, Zach Buckley of Bleacher Report discussed in a recent piece that he believes the 34-year-old’s career will wind up taking a story-book turn of events, as he projects Derrick Rose will wind up inking a deal “with his hometown Chicago Bulls.”
As noted in Buckley’s piece, since signing his three-year, $43.5 million contract back in 2021, Rose has only managed to suit up for a combined 53 games out of a possible 236.
That said, when he has suited up, he’s still shown flashes of being a quality contributor on the NBA stage. Over the last two seasons, per 100 possessions, Derrick Rose is still posting solid averages of 23.7 points, 7.6 assists, and 6.0 rebounds while shooting 42.3% from the field and 36.1% from distance.
Though his time as a perennial NBA All-Star and as a franchise cornerstone may be over, the veteran is still viewed as a player many teams have expressed interest in acquiring.
Should he not head to a ready-made contender if he’s available on the free agency market this coming summer, assuming he will still want to play, seeing Derrick Rose return to Chicago, the place his basketball journey began, would be a feel-good story for any sports fan to see.
