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It has been a long and winding road for former Chicago Bulls star and 2011 NBA MVP Derrick Rose since he was felled by knee injuries so many years ago. For a half-decade or so, the 33-year-old struggled to stay on the floor, struggled to produce at a consistent level and even struggled to maintain his spot in the league.
Flash forward to now, and he’s settled into a nice spot as an elder statesman and a microwave scorer off the bench, most recently with the New York Knicks. Without him, the Big Apple crew wouldn’t have been a top-four playoff seed in 2020-21. And when injuries crept up on him again last season, the team found itself in the lottery zone in short order.
Nevertheless, with the Knicks attempting to restructure after their latest fall from grace, one has to wonder whether the club actually wants him back in the mix next season.
In the event that Rose does find himself on the trading block, one league executive believes that the Bulls legend would be in incredibly high demand around the Association.
Is a Bulls Reunion Possible?
In speaking with Heavy.com’s Sean Deveney, the East exec namechecked Rose as the most tradeable player on New York’s roster, “hands-down.”
Said the exec: “He’s older now obviously and whatever happened off the floor with him, on the floor he has been such a pro everywhere he has gone. His contract is good ($14.5 million for 2022-23, player options at $15.6 million for 2023-24), he has become a very good three-point shooter, he brings energy, he likes coming off the bench.”
As such, the exec believes that “there are 29 teams that would be willing to take him.” Obviously, that’s list that would include the Bulls, who face at least a modicum of uncertainty in the backcourt heading into next season due to Lonzo Ball’s extended recovery from left knee surgery.
There’s at least one big hurdle preventing Rose from moving on to a new team, though, according to the exec. Namely, his old coach in Chicago and Minnesota — and his current coach with the Knicks — Tom Thibodeau.
“The relationship with Thibs is there,” the exec said. “They would not consider moving him unless he asked for it.”
Bulls G Leaguer Joining Team USA
Summer league is well behind us and training camp is still weeks away, but members of the Bulls family are still out there squaring off against high-level competition. That includes journeyman baller and Windy City Bulls point-man Jeremy Pargo, who’s looking at an opportunity to play on an international stage.
As announced by USA Basketball on Thursday, Pargo is one of 15 players that will be heading to Las Vegas for the team’s AmeriCup training camp, taking place from August 23-27. While there, the 36-year-old and the rest of the invitees will vie for spots on the squad that will defend the FIBA Americas title next month.
After joining Chicago’s G League affiliate via trade from the Santa Cruz Warriors, Pargo made 11 appearances and averaged 8.3 points, 3.9 assists and 1.2 rebounds in 22.2 minutes per game. He’s a veteran of 86 career NBA games and also played extensively abroad.
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Exec Drops Truth Bomb on Potential Bulls-Derrick Rose Reunion