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Derrick Rose Rumors: Bulls Have Held Talks About Signing Knicks Free-Agent PG
July 26, 2021
The Chicago Bulls have reportedly held internal discussions about the "viability and fit" of impending free-agent point guard Derrick Rose, who won the 2010-11 NBA MVP award with the franchise.
K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago described Rose as a secondary target for the Bulls on Monday, but noted a reunion "can't be ruled out" heading into the offseason.
The 32-year-old Chicago native hasn't returned to an MVP level since a series of injuries derailed his Bulls career and led to his trade to the New York Knicks in 2016. He returned to New York in a February deal from the Detroit Pistons and played well down the stretch.
Rose averaged 14.9 points, 4.2 assists and 2.9 rebounds while shooting 48.7 percent from the field, including 41.1 percent on threes, across 35 games for the Knicks. He put up 19.4 points per game in five playoff appearances, but the team was eliminated in the first round by the Atlanta Hawks.
His success in his second stint with New York showed he can still be an impact starter at the point, which is an area of need for Chicago this summer.
In December 2018, Rose was asked about a potential return to the Bulls in the future.
"This is home for me. I'll never leave Chicago," he told reporters. "I still have a place here, I'm always going to have a place here. My son is being raised here. This is home. You never know in the future, you never know."
The Bulls have also been linked to the New Orleans Pelicans' Lonzo Ball, Los Angeles Lakers' Dennis Schroder and Dallas Mavericks' Jalen Brunson as potential options at the point, per Johnson.
So bringing Rose back home may not be a cut-and-dry move early in free agency. Chicago will likely seek out other options via trade or the open market. If nothing materializes, it could circle back to the three-time All-Star as a potential short-term option to run its offense.