Has Derrick Rose reached the end of his NBA journey, or is there one more step left before he ends his career?
On Monday, an NBA insider Shams Charania reported Memphis Grizzlies part ways with Rose. Rose spent one season in Memphis, appearing in 24 games for the Grizzlies, averaging 8.0 points, 3.3 assists and 1.9 rebounds in 16.6 minutes per game.
After 15 seasons and five teams, Rose may be ready to hang up his iconic sneakers for good. Stefan Bondy of the New York Post reported that Rose thought about retirement after the 2022-23 season after failing to reach an agreement with the Knicks on a new contract.
There may be only one team capable of extending the former MVP’s run for another year: the Chicago Bulls.
After spending one season in Memphis, where he played college basketball, a farewell tour with his hometown team could be the perfect ending to Rose’s career.
However, the Bulls will have to make room for Rose in their crowded backcourt.
Chicago has 10 guards on the roster as the Bulls prepare to open training camp next week. At best, Rose could come to camp and compete for a spot on the team.
While Rose’s health is a major question mark—he’s appeared in 127 of a possible 318 games since the start of the 2020-21 season—there’s still some upside to bringing him home.
The Bulls are banking on the futures of guards Coby White, Ayo Dosunmu and Josh Giddey. Rose could serve as a mentor to that trio on the practice field and in the locker room.
Off the court, Rose’s signing could serve as a salve for Bulls fans as they prepare for another tough season. Rose is arguably the Bulls’ biggest star after Michael Jordan, and his heyday coincided with the last truly competitive era of Chicago basketball.
The first overall pick in 2008, Rose was named NBA Player of the Year in his first four seasons and was named All-Star three times. He was named the youngest NBA MVP in history after the 2010–11 season. That season, he also led the Bulls to the Eastern Conference Finals.
His career and the course of the Bulls franchise were forever changed when he tore his ACL in 2011. While he wasn’t able to lead the team to the championship in its heyday, perhaps Rose can help the Bulls emerge from that predicament and regain some relevance in the NBA.
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