Derrick Rose Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Eastern Notes: Rondo, Granger, Rose, Deng

January 24th, 2014 at 9:12pm CST by Eddie Scarito

There’s been plenty of trade speculation regarding Rajon Rondo of the Celtics, despite GM Danny Ainge saying he’s not being shopped. The team has even begun discussing a contract extension with their newly named Captain. Rondo seems to be willing to be a part of the Celtics rebuilding efforts, and is open to signing an extension, writes Chris Forsberg of ESPN Boston.com. Rondo told Forsberg, “I don’t like change much. I wouldn’t mind staying here the rest of my career. Things don’t always seem to go that way, but like I said before, it’s just a business. I wouldn’t mind extending another 10 years in Boston.” Forsberg also writes that Ainge acknowledged that it would take “star” money to retain their point guard. In a separate article, Forsberg examines the merits for both player and team to work out an extension this offseason.

Here’s some other notes from around the Eastern Conference:

With Danny Granger relegated to a bench role in the wake of his injuries, as well as the rise to stardom of Paul George, Sam Amick of USA Today examines how Granger’s acceptance of his new role can help the Pacers thrive.
Despite being out for the season with another knee injury, Derrick Rose was named to USA Basketball’s 28-player pool for this summer’s FIBA World Cup of Basketball in Spain and the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics. Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau would be happy to see Rose play for Team USA this summer, writes Sean Highkin of USA Today. Rose is expected to be medically cleared by the summer, and Thibodeau said “If he’s healthy enough, I think it would be great for him. I know how strongly USA Basketball feels about him. If his health is there, I think it makes a lot of sense.”
Luol Deng was traded from the Bulls to the Cavaliers on January 7th. Since that time, the Bulls have gone 7-2, and might be playing the best basketball of their season. The Bulls seem to be thriving without their former player, but Deng isn’t doing quite as well in Cleveland, writes Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times. He’s having to play “baby-sitter” on a young, but talented roster. How the team jells the rest of the season will have a direct impact on the Cavaliers chances at re-signing Deng this summer.

Bulls Notes: Deng, Rose, Mirotic, Boozer

January 7th, 2014 at 12:10pm CST by Luke Adams

The Luol Deng trade between the Cavaliers and Bulls could have a significant impact on the Heat, according to Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel. As Winderman notes, the move should ensure that Andrew Bynum becomes available for Miami to pursue, and it also gives the Cavs an intriguing alternative to LeBron James in free agency this summer.

The Bulls had been expected to challenge Miami for Eastern Conference supremacy this season, but for now, Chicago’s front office is focused on how to improve the long-term outlook of a team that no longer has Deng and will be without Derrick Rose for several more months. Here’s the latest out of Chicago:

Asked about the Deng trade, coach Tom Thibodeau declined to go into detail, but “it’s obvious he disagreed” with the decision to move the veteran forward, tweets Nick Friedell of ESPN Chicago. Mike McGraw of the Daily Herald suggests (via Twitter) that Thibodeau isn’t necessarily upset about the move, since he recognizes the reality of the Bulls’ situation, but he’s “not thrilled, obviously.”
Bulls VP of basketball operations John Paxson confirmed that the club offered Deng an extension recently. According to Paxson, the front office felt like it was a competitive offer, but understood completely when Deng passed (Twitter links via K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune).
The money saved by the Bulls in this deal will be reinvested in the franchise, according to Paxson (Twitter link via Friedell).
Paxson disagrees with the notion that the Bulls are rebuilding, suggesting that it’s not a rebuild when a franchise still has players like Rose and Joakim Noah, plus a coach like Thibodeau (Twitter link via TNT’s David Aldridge). Paxson added that the front office’s working relationship with Thibodeau is “really good,” according to Friedell (via Twitter).
Owner Jerry Reinsdorf and GM Gar Forman both spoke to Rose about the Deng trade and didn’t get the sense that the former MVP was unhappy with the direction of the club, tweets Friedell.
Nikola Mirotic remains a part of the Bulls’ future, but the organization isn’t as confident as it once was that he’ll be signed this summer, tweets Friedell. Still, Chicago hopes to bring him over “sooner rather than later,” says Paxson (Twitter link via Johnson).
The Bulls haven’t yet decided whether Carlos Boozer will be amnestied in July, says Paxson (Twitter link via Friedell).
Paxson acknowledged that the Bulls didn’t handle Deng’s spinal tap fallout last spring as well as they should or could have, according to Johnson (Twitter link).

Eastern Links: Rose, Sanders, Anderson

December 5th, 2013 at 8:58pm CST by Ryan Raroque

Derrick Rose was asked to comment on the idea that the Bulls should look to move on without him after his latest injury, and he had this to say: “What do you mean?…You can be a fool if you want to…I know I’m going to be alright…I know I am (going to be the same player). A better player…If anything, this should even me out. When I think about it, the injury, I just turned and this happened, kind of like a freak accident. I put all I had into coming back and if this was to happen 10 more times I’d be able to deal with it” (Sam Smith of Bulls.com).

Here’s more out of the Eastern Conference tonight:

Earlier today, we made note that Rose wouldn’t rule out a return to the court if he managed to get healthy in time for the postseason. On the other hand, head coach Tom Thibodeau didn’t seem willing to entertain the thought of looking that far ahead: “To me, he’s out for the season…If something changes along the way…We want him to be completely healthy before he moves forward…We can’t worry about whether he may come back. Right now, it’s been determined that he’s out for the season, so that’s the way we’re going to approach it” (Sean Highkin of USA Today).
In responding to one of his Twitter followers, Steve Kyler of Hoopsworld said that the notion of dealing Larry Sanders for a lottery pick next year would not even be a consideration (Twitter link).
Keith Pompey of Philly.com talks about how James Anderson has excelled in his reserve role as of late after beginning the season as a starter for the 76ers.
We’ve relayed quite a bit from the Knicks and Nets this evening, and five ESPN writers decided to chime in on why both teams have been playing poorly, who has the hotter seat between Mike Woodson and Jason Kidd, which team will be worse in April, and which has a rougher future ahead.
Hawks GM Danny Ferry voiced his support for Cavaliers coach Mike Brown, telling FOX Sports Ohio’s Sam Amico: “(Brown’s) a relentless worker and a quality, high character person. He is a good teacher and holds players accountable. His will and passion for defense will always give any team a strong chance to be successful. This will have such a strong impact for a team establishing a foundation for years to come.”
There may have been a chorus of boos for Kidd tonight at the Barclays Center during the pre-game introductions, but the Nets coach gets a vote of confidence from his former teammate J.R. Smith: “Criticism is going to come…He’s a first-year coach and he’s a great basketball mind. Just unfortunately, he’s going through it early. Some coaches have success early, some struggle early. He just happens to be struggling right now…I think he’s the best fit for that job and he knows how to get out of it. He’s got a great core of vets, so he’ll be fine” (Roderick Boone of Newsday).
The Celtics sit atop the Atlantic Division, but the team isn’t letting their early success get to their head and remains focused on continuing to work hard (Marc D’Amico of Celtics.com).

Derrick Rose Won’t Rule Out Return For Playoffs

December 5th, 2013 at 2:09pm CST by Zachary Links

This afternoon, Derrick Rose sat down and addressed the media for the first time since undergoing surgery on his right knee. The Bulls’ star guard, who has been ruled out for the remainder of the regular season, says that he could potentially return for the postseason, tweets Nick Friedell of ESPNChicago.com (on Twitter). Rose says that if he’s “healthy and the situation is right” he would come back and play in the playoffs, but if he doesn’t feel ready, he won’t.

Last season, Rose took a good deal of criticism from people around basketball after he opted to sit out of the playoffs despite having his left knee cleared by doctors. This time around, Rose says that he’s confident the rehab will be quicker (Friedell tweets).

Bulls fans are concerned about much more than the 2013/14 season, however. With mounting speculation that the team could look to rebuild or go in another direction, Rose fired back at naysayers, warning that “you can be a fool if you want to, I know I’m going to be all right,” (link). Some have wondered if the Bulls might be willing to move Luol Deng, a pending free agent, for the right package between now and the All-Star break.

One thing is for sure though, Rose is still insistent that he won’t recruit other players to come to Chicago (Twitter link). It’s a curious stance for the former MVP to take considering what other superstars have accomplished by working the phones in the summer months.

Central Links: LeBron, Deng, Bulls, Scola

November 26th, 2013 at 8:43pm CST by Chuck Myron

It’s not easy to build a six-and-a-half game lead in less than a month, but that’s what the Pacers have done in the Central Division, where they’re the only team above .500. The Bulls are in second place, and the hole they’re in would have been somewhat of a challenge to overcome even if Derrick Rose were coming back this season. It’s probably impossible now that he’s done for the year, though Chicago at least has a strong chance of making the playoffs in the watered-down Eastern Conference. Here’s more on Indiana and the Central Division also-rans:

Anderson Varejao would welcome former Cavaliers teammate LeBron James if the four-time MVP decides to re-sign with Cleveland this summer, a prospect Varejao believes could become reality, as Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio observes. The Brazilian big man thinks James will likely return to the Cavs at some point, even if it’s not for next season.
Other reports suggest Luol Deng isn’t going anywhere soon, but executives from around the league who spoke to K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune expect trade talks involving the Bulls small forward to pick up.
Johnson also notes in his piece that the Bulls chose to sign Mike Dunleavy over Marco Belinelli because they believed Dunleavy was a better fit with Rose. That points to the challenge the team faces opposed to last year, when they went into the season knowing Rose would be out. Despite his latest injury, Bulls GM Gar Forman says he’d be OK with Rose playing in the basketball World Cup this coming summer, according to Johnson.
Pacers coach Frank Vogel is impressed with offseason acquisition Luis Scola, and didn’t expect the 33-year-old would defend as well as he has so far, writes Michael Pointer of the Indianapolis Star.
The Bucks had the most turnover of any NBA team this summer, but they didn’t expect to have the worst record in the Eastern Conference a month into the season, as Charles F. Gardner of the Journal Sentinel examines.

Derrick Rose Out For Season

November 25th, 2013 at 10:14am CST by Luke Adams

Derrick Rose underwent successful surgery to repair the torn medial meniscus in his right knee, the Bulls announced today in a press release. According to the release, Rose will be out for the rest of the season.

Immediately following the injury and diagnosis, Rose’s timeline wasn’t clear, but it appears he and the team will play it safe. Coming off an ACL tear that wiped out his 2012/13 season, the former MVP appeared in just 10 games for the Bulls this season before suffering another knee injury.

Assuming Rose doesn’t return ahead of schedule, the Bulls may look significantly different by the time he gets back on the court. Luol Deng is on an expiring contract, and the club will have one more chance to amnesty Carlos Boozer next July. Letting Deng walk and amnestying Boozer would clear some cap space to sign Nikola Mirotic or to make a run at a free agent.

Poll: Will Bulls Ever Win Title With Rose On Max Deal?

November 23rd, 2013 at 10:10pm CST by Chuck Myron

It appears Derrick Rose will have two options for surgery on his right knee, and sources tell K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune that Rose is likely to choose the one that will keep him out longer. That presents the strong possibility that the point guard could miss the rest of the season, a loss that would likely knock the Bulls out of title contention in 2013/14.

Part of the reason Rose might opt for the surgery that could keep him out this season would be its long-term benefits for his 25-year-old body, since the other procedure could compromise his ability on the court. Still, more than two years removed from the last season in which he played in more than 60% of his team’s games, it’s worth wondering if Rose can ever regain his MVP form.

There are rumors of a rift between coach Tom Thibodeau and Bulls management, while Rose and soon-to-be free agent Luol Deng apparently have their resentments toward the front office as well. Even before Rose’s latest injury, it was been “widely assumed” the Bulls would shake up their roster next summer, Johnson writes. Perhaps those changes will come about sooner if Rose is indeed ruled out for the year, as the Bulls could try to shed salary via trades and slip beneath the luxury tax threshold, though that’s just my speculation.

Still, there’s reason for optimism in Chicago. The Bulls have a first-round pick coming from the woe-begotten Bobcats, and they have the rights to heralded European prospect Nikola Mirotic. Jimmy Butler is coming off a breakout season and could be an emerging star on the wing. Butler nonetheless has a ways to go before he becomes the sort of player that Rose once was.

Title hopes in the NBA fall and rise with superstars, and Rose might not fit into the superstar category anymore. Regardless, he’ll be paid like one through 2017. His maximum-salary deal, a product of the collective bargaining agreement rule that goes by Rose’s own name, still has $77.9MM on it, including this season. As the Knicks are realizing with an injury-ravaged Amar’e Stoudemire, it’s hard to build a championship roster with such a large contract committed to someone who can’t live up to it.

Many picked the Bulls to win it all this year, but less than a month into the regular season, can you see this team winning a title at all while Rose’s current contract is on the books? Let us know, and feel free to elaborate on the issue in the comments.

Will the Bulls ever win a title with Derrick Rose on a max deal?

No 76.48% (582 votes)

Yes 23.52% (179 votes)

Total Votes: 761

Derrick Rose Injury Fallout

November 23rd, 2013 at 9:03pm CST by Chuck Myron

Second-team All-NBA center Marc Gasol seems destined to miss significant time with injury, but the primary concern around the league seems to be for Derrick Rose, whose worst-case scenario appears more dire than Gasol’s. It’s not another torn ACL as the Bulls feared, but the torn medial meniscus in the former MVP’s knee could have seismic consequences for Rose and his team. Here’s the latest:

The specter of another lost season for Rose gives Tom Thibodeau less reason to remain as coach of the Bulls and put up with behind-the-scenes discord in Chicago, writes Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. Rose is among the players who support Thibodeau in his alleged feud with GM Gar Forman and others in Bulls management, according to Wojnarowski, who adds that the point guard and Luol Deng also harbor some hard feelings for the front office. Thibodeau is a fan of Deng’s, but the team’s braintrust places a higher priority on keeping Jimmy Butler around long-term, Woj says. For the record, Bulls vice president of basketball ops John Paxson denied any turmoil between the coach and management shortly after Wojnarowski wrote about it last month.
If Rose has the meniscus repaired, he faces about six months of recovery, and while he could opt to remove the meniscus and come back in a matter of days, that could compromise his athleticism for the rest of his career, notes Ken Berger of CBSSports.com. Whichever choice he makes, Berger figures the Bulls will release a firm timetable rather than let questions linger about when he’ll return, as they did last season.
Rose may never again be an MVP-caliber player, but the 25-year-old still has plenty left, opines Ian Thomsen of SI.com. A long absence for Rose would probably knock the Bulls out of title contention, but it wouldn’t keep them from the playoffs, Thomsen adds.

Bulls Not Sure If Derrick Rose Will Miss Season

November 23rd, 2013 at 4:31pm CST by Chuck Myron

Derrick Rose will undergo surgery for a torn medial meniscus in his right knee, the Bulls announced, but it’s not clear whether the former MVP will miss the rest of the season. K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune tweets that until the surgery is complete, “it’s known” whether Rose will return, likely omitting the “not” as he typed. The team’s release states that Rose will be out indefinitely, though the Bulls are “bracing” for the prospect that Rose won’t be back this season, according to Marc Stein of ESPN.com (Twitter link).

It’s not as severe as the torn ACL that Rose suffered in his left knee in April 2012. That injury knocked him out of the playoffs that season and forced him to miss all of 2012/13. This ailment is nonetheless a blow to a Bulls team that had designs on a title run this year, and it appears Rose will miss at least a significant portion of 2013/14.

Chicago is about $7.5MM above the luxury tax threshold after having paid the tax for the first time last season. Owner Jerry Reinsdorf is notoriously stingy, so it’s worth wondering if the team may look to unload a few contracts if surgery reveals Rose will miss the season. For the time being, it likely thrusts Kirk Hinrich, who’s on an expiring contract, into a starting role, and the injury could force the Bulls into a decision on second-year point guard Marquis Teague, who emerged as a trade candidate during camp.

Bulls Notes: Rose, Butler, Deng

October 24th, 2013 at 9:50pm CST by Ryan Raroque

While on “The Waddle and Silvy Show” on ESPN Chicago 1000, Bulls vice president John Paxson described Derrick Rose‘s pre-season performance as “fearless” and doesn’t think that any restrictions will be put on the former MVP: “Unless he would come up with something that would concern us, but we have no concerns right now. You look at his preseason, and I think [coach Thibodeau] has done a really nice job of kind of amping up his minutes. He’s played six games. In reality he is only averaging about 27 minutes a game in this preseason, and he has looked terrific. Right now there is no reason to think that there will be any restrictions, and we’re not anticipating that at all” (hat tip to ESPNChicago.com).

Here are some more rumblings to share out of Chicago tonight:

Rose’s ability to create for his teammates will lead to plenty of offensive opportunities, especially for teammate Jimmy Butler, who is still looking to find his niche on that end of the floor (K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune).
In another piece from Johnson, head coach Tom Thibodeau sang Luol Deng‘s praises amidst his noteworthy production so far in the pre-season: “He’s a complete player…He does whatever you ask. He’s very disciplined. He stays in great shape, prepares himself to guard multiple positions, moves without the ball…He does so many things that make your team better that never appear in a box score. He’s a hard guy to measure statistically, even though his statistics are very good. He’s invaluable to us.”
Johnson also adds that Joakim Noah is still questionable for the team’s regular season opener next week, and that guard Kirk Hinrich has been medically cleared from the concussion he suffered last Friday.