Derrick Rose Meeting With Cavs On Monday

Free agent point guard Derrick Rose is meeting with Cavaliers officials in Ohio on Monday to continue exploring the possibility of a deal with the club, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN. Previous reports have indicated that Rose and the Cavs have engaged in serious discussions about a one-year contract.

Cleveland is said to be offering Rose a minimum salary contract, which would only pay him about $2.1MM for the 2017/18 season. That would represent a significant pay cut for Rose, and it’s less than what he could earn from a team like the Lakers, who have their full $4.3MM room exception available. Rose met with the Lakers on Friday.

While the Cavaliers’ offer is modest, league sources tell Wojnarowski that Rose has been leaning toward the opportunity in Cleveland. The Cavs are a more viable contender than the Lakers, which is expected to be a key factor for the former MVP, and Kyrie Irving‘s trade request also figures to play a part in Rose’s interest.

With Irving on the roster, Rose would be part of a backup point guard rotation that also includes Jose Calderon, but if Irving doesn’t start the 2017/18 season in Cleveland, the door would be open for Rose to play a more substantial role. However, according to Wojnarowski, the Cavs haven’t gained traction toward a possible Irving deal yet, despite fielding multiple trade calls and offers in recent days.

Rose, who turns 29 in October, is coming off a season in which he struggled with his outside shot more than ever (.217 3PT%) and wasn’t an elite distributor or defender. Still, he continued to display an ability to get to the rim and put the ball in the net, averaging 18.0 PPG in 64 games with the Knicks.

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