Derrick Rose Away From Cavs, Evaluating Future

Derrick Rose, sidelined since November 7 with an ankle injury, isn’t currently with the Cavaliers and is evaluating his future in basketball, according to Adrian Wojnarowski and Dave McMenamin of ESPN.

Rose, who has been away from the Cavs for the better part of a week, has been plagued by health problems since winning the NBA’s MVP award in 2011, averaging just 38 games played over the last six seasons, not including this year. Those ongoing injury issues have the veteran point guard feeling overwhelmed, per Wojnarowski and McMenamin.

“He’s tired of being hurt and it’s taking a toll on him mentally,” one Cavaliers source told ESPN.

Rose, 29, signed a one-year, minimum salary contract with the Cavaliers over the summer, and was thrust into the team’s starting lineup when Kyrie Irving was traded to the Celtics, with Isaiah Thomas still recovering from his hip injury. However, Rose has been limited to just seven games so far, averaging 14.3 PPG and a career-worst 1.7 APG in those contests.

As a member of the Knicks last season, Rose unexpectedly left the team at one point to return to Chicago and missed a game, failing to explain his absence until after the fact. He was fined for that departure and apologized to his teammates when he returned. However, this isn’t a repeat of that situation — a Cavs spokesman tells ESPN that Rose’s current absence is excused.

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