Lakers Rumors: Derrick Rose Meeting Reported Amid Cavaliers Interest

The Los Angeles Lakers reportedly met with Derrick Rose on Thursday and pitched him the idea of playing for the team next season, according to Ramona Shelburne of ESPN.

Earlier on Thursday, Brian Windhorst and Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reported the Cleveland Cavaliers and Rose were "in serious talks" on a one-year deal. But Shelburne noted, "Obviously Lakers feel they have a shot at Rose because they can offer more playing time in a better environment after his tumultuous year in New York."

The Cavs appear to be the front-runners, however, with Windhorst and Wojnarowski reporting Rose "has met with several teams over the past three weeks, including the Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Clippers, but he has gained momentum on a deal with the Cavs in the past several days."

That report suggested Rose wants to play for a contender, which could hurt the Lakers' chances in his pursuit given the relative youth of the team's current roster.

But Chris Haynes of ESPN reported that playing for a contending team may not be atop Rose's wish list: 

Rose, 28, averaged 18.0 points, 3.8 rebounds and 4.4 assists in 64 games for the New York Knicks last season. It was a generally positive campaign for Rose, who had played in just 166 games between 2011-16 due to a number of injuries.

The season wasn't without its controversies, however, for both the Knicks and Rose. One of the more peculiar moments of the season came when Rose didn't show up for a game in January and didn't inform the team he would be absent. He was ultimately fined for the incident but was not suspended for any games.

In Los Angeles, Rose would be the veteran presence for a team being built around exciting young prospects like Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram and Julius Randle. Given the signing of Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, it would be interesting to see if the Lakers utilized Rose as the team's starting point guard, pushing Ball to the bench, or if he would be asked to play a reserve role. 

It would be a nice problem for head coach Luke Walton to have, however.