The New York Knicks playoff run ended last night. They managed to only win one game in the first round before being bounced. The Knick’s best player in this series was guard Derrick Rose. At 32 years old Rose helped to lead this young Knicks team to the playoffs and was the main reason they had a chance each game. With the season coming to an end for Rose, he is now set to become an unrestricted free agent. That begs the question, should the Bulls try and bring Derrick Rose back to Chicago? With the season just ending Rose doesn’t know what this offseason has in store for him.
Derrick Rose on his future: “That’s up to the front office. They got big plans. Who knows if I may be back? I don’t know. I’ll let my agent and them talk about it. It’s really not up to me at all. I'd love to come back. Who wouldn’t want to play for the Knicks or be in New York?”
— Michael Scotto (@MikeAScotto) June 3, 2021
With his future in New York undetermined, this is a topic we certainly have to cover. The Bull’s most glaring need is at point guard. Could Rose be what this team needs to push themselves over the edge?
Rose is consistent again
After leaving the Bulls in 2016 it’s no secret that Rose’s game declined. He had two seasons where things got really bad. He seemed to reflect on that and has come back strong. Just take a look at this season. Rose averaged 14.7 PPG, 47.0 %FG, 2.6 RPG, & 4.2 APG. This season he split his time with the Detroit Pistons to start the year and the Knicks to end the year. He didn’t seem to skip a beat when he got to New York. Just look at how he performed in the playoffs for them.
Shoutout to Derrick Rose in Game 3:
30 PTS
6 REB
5 AST
1 STL
3 3PM
13/21 FG
39 MIN pic.twitter.com/j1K0Z4JvsX— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) May 29, 2021
Rose averaged 19.4 PPG, 47.6 %FG, 4.0 RPG, & 5.0 APG during the Knick’s first round. He was out to prove that he can still ball and make a difference. While he may not be at an All-Star level he is still a solid high-performing point guard. The Bulls are in desperate need of a facilitator. This team is in a bit of a tough position when it comes to financials this offseason. At this point, it’s tough to say if the team would be able to afford Rose or not.
The Bulls Offseason
The Bulls have decisions to make when it comes to the type of team they want to be. Mainly if the team wants to act as an above the cap or under the cap team. If they go above the cap they won’t have a lot of money to bring in free agents but will be able to re-sign any of the free agents on their roster. If they want to act under the cap they will need to let most of their free agents go but could bring in an outside big-name free agent. This is where things can get tricky.
Derrick Rose is just coming off a 2 year $15 million deal. So it’s not absurd to think that he will be looking for at least $10 million per year on his next deal. It’s tricky to know what this team will do this offseason. If the move is to let most of their free agents go then grabbing Rose wouldn’t be the worst idea. He comes at a lower price than a lot of the free-agent guards out there. This would allow the team to grab another free agent at a reasonable cost instead of going all-in on just one. Again this all depends on what the front office wants to do at the point guard position. While we don’t know about them it’s pretty obvious that Chicago fans would love to see him back.
Chicago fans appear to be on board
Now I can’t speak for all Bulls fans but every time Rose to the Bulls is brought up it seems to be overwhelmingly positive. No, he’s not the same player he was when he was with the Bulls. But he’s still a good player. After watching Rose put on a show in the playoffs for the Knicks his value is especially high right now.
Rose was the best player in the series for the Knicks. He had too many minutes in the first 4 games, so one would expect an off-night. Regardless, I hope the Bulls bring him home next season…and Taj.
— See Red Fred (@cbefred) June 3, 2021
A lot of Bulls media and fans want to see Rose come back to Chicago and get another chance. He has unfinished business in Chicago. The Bulls are different than when he left and are in a position to succeed moving forward. Rose would find himself in a position where he won’t need to carry the load night in and night out. He can lean on guard Zach LaVine and center Nikola Vucevic. It would be a new D Rose in Chicago.
Zach LaVine not letting you down next season @drose pic.twitter.com/CxuzkOcEMX
— ✶✶✶✶ (@NotARoleModeI) May 29, 2021
I know my opinion is filled with bias but I would love to see Derrick Rose back with the Bulls. I think he would be a great addition to a team that could use a veteran facilitator. If the front office can get him for a good price I am absolutely on board. He will be heavily sought after which will likely drive up the price tag. If the Bulls can put themselves in the discussion I think they should. It’s time to make things right with Derrick Rose and bring him back to Chicago.
