Derrick Rose to Return in 4-6 Weeks After Successful Knee Surgery

Derrick Rose will return this season after all.

Rose, the league’s Most Valuable Player in 2010-11, had surgery on Friday for a torn medial meniscus in his right knee. The procedure was expected to sideline him indefinitely—perhaps for the remainder of the season—but it appears that he will return far sooner.

ESPN Chicago's Jon Greenberg reported Friday morning that Rose could return in less than six weeks, which has given Chicago fans a collective sigh of relief and breathed renewed life into the Bulls’ title hopes.

Friday’s surgery marked Rose’s second meniscus procedure in less than two years. The injury-plagued point guard tore the same cartilage during the 2013 regular season, forcing him to miss the remainder of that campaign. When news broke on Tuesday that he would need another meniscus surgery, many in the Bulls organization (along with most Chicago fans) feared the worst.

At practice on Wednesday, Chicago coach Tom Thibodeau called the injury “so unfair,” while Rose’s teammates Pau Gasol and Kirk Hinrich used words like “devastating” and “heartbreaking.”

But luckily, this week’s injury appears to have been far less devastating than Rose's previous incidents. Chicago general manager Gar Forman, speaking to reporters Friday morning, said the surgery was a “quick procedure,” from which Rose should make “a full recovery.” If the rehab process goes well, the team expects Rose to return sometime in April.

Obviously, this is good news for Bulls fans and basketball fans in general. Before this week’s procedure, Rose appeared well on his way to making a full return to form; his numbers remained underwhelming, but it was clear to anyone watching that the 26-year-old had begun to find his old explosiveness.

A healthy Rose makes the already-competitive Bulls a legitimate title contender. But perhaps more importantly, a healthy Rose can do stuff like this: 

And this:

Rose, even at full strength, may not be the league’s best player. But he’s near the top when healthy, and he plays with a frenetic energy unmatched by anyone not named Russell Westbrook. The NBA is more fun when Rose is healthy, and basketball fans should be thrilled at Friday’s news.

However, the news is not all peachy. Rose’s return will help Chicago’s title hopes and make the league more exciting. But he has an infamously long injury history, and Friday’s surgery—minor or not—is still another chapter in that book.  

Rose has dealt with health problems since high school. He tweaked his hip and his hamstring in 2008 but recovered quickly, making his first All-Star team the following year. He won the league’s MVP award in the 2010-11 season; sadly, however, he has not played a full season since.

During the first round of the 2011-12 playoffs, Rose tore his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and was forced to miss the entire 2012-13 season. He returned to play in October 2013, struggling to find a rhythm before tearing his right meniscus in November of that year.

At the time, according to Greenberg, Rose opted to fully repair his knee, a more serious procedure with a longer recovery time. That surgery left him sidelined for the remainder of the 2013-14 season, before he made yet another return to action this year. In all, he has played in less than one-third of Chicago’s regular-season games since 2010.

According to Forman, it is not uncommon for players with meniscus injuries to require a second surgery. And, the Bulls’ GM seems confident that this week’s procedure will prevent, not cause, future complications. “This (surgery) should eliminate that problem,” he said. It seems fair to say that if Rose finally returns to full health, he’ll remain a key part of Chicago’s blueprint—even if he never again reaches his MVP potential. 

But Rose is under contract until 2017 and stands to make more than $19 million in each of the next two seasons. And at this point, he is known more for getting injured than for playing basketball.

His ability has never been in doubt; his health has never not been. And Chicago faces some tough questions as a result.

On the one hand, Rose is still just 26 and remains a special talent. If he ever gets healthy, he could win another MVP. And Chicago, judging from the remarks of players and coaches, loves him. The Bulls have managed to contend without Rose for four years, as they routinely employ one of the league’s best defenses. They have a terrific coach, a blossoming young star in Jimmy Butler and an always-underrated defensive wizard in Joakim Noah.

In that light, Chicago could continue on its current path: Keep Rose around, hope he gets healthy and play good defense in his absence. If Rose returns to form, Chicago’s already-competitive team would become an instant title favorite. And if he doesn’t, well, the team can contend without him. The Bulls have proved that.

But on the other hand, Chicago could quite justifiably place Rose on the trading block. If he returns in six weeks—and particularly if he plays well—other teams might be interested, despite his injury history. He remains too talented to ignore.

The Bulls might be able to replace their oft-injured superstar—and his $19 million cap hit—with reliable veterans, energetic youth or talented role players who could help the team win a title. With a little creativity, the Bulls could perhaps exchange Rose for a second-tier star or a slew of future draft picks. 

One way or another, Friday's news is positive. A healthy Rose is good for Chicago, good for the league and good for fans. Even a slightly hobbled Rose is good for the Bulls’ title hopes in the short term. In the long term, Chicago must decide how much the possibility of a healthy Rose is worth. But hopefully, wherever Rose’s future takes him, he’ll be healthy.