In this Sept. 28, 2015, file photo, Chicago Bulls’ Derrick Rose sits down for an NBA basketball media day news conference in Chicago. (Charles Rex Arbogast/AP)
I’m not really sure what Derrick Rose is doing.
The face of the Chicago Bulls’ franchise, the best player on the roster, has a lot of people’s heads in Chicago spinning in all different directions for what he said at the team’s media day on Monday.
Instead of previewing the upcoming season, Rose willingly decided to talk about free agency in 2017. He wasn’t even asked about it. He brought it up himself.
I’m paraphrasing, but Rose said that he wants to make sure his family is financially stable and guarantee his son has a good life.
You want to make sure your family is financially stable? Rose, now 26, signed a five-year max extension worth close to $95 million before the 2011-12 season. That’s not even to mention the 13-year, $185 million deal he signed with Adidas in 2010 after winning NBA MVP.
Come on, man. I think your family is going to be fine.
Why is he worrying about 2017? Focus on this season and getting past the Cleveland Cavaliers. Right now it’s the Cavs against everyone else and the Bulls are supposed to be the team that challenges them in the Eastern Conference. How do you think it goes over now in the fans’ minds that Rose is thinking two years ahead? It can’t be good, especially with the lack of games he has played over the past few seasons.
Then Tuesday happened. Not one day into practicing, Rose suffered a left orbital fracture in practice and had to have surgery on Wednesday. The Bulls say Rose is expected to return to basketball activities in two weeks. This means that he should be back for the start of the season on Oct. 27 against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
He better be.
Here is your crazy stat of the day: Derrick Rose has missed more games in the past two seasons (103) than Tim Duncan has missed in his entire 18-year career (97). That is insane. Think about that.
Granted, Rose missed the last two seasons due to injuries. That stat is absolutely mind-boggling. I don’t wish injury upon anyone. Injuries are the worst thing in sports. But I’m starting to think that Derrick Rose is just unlucky, maybe even injury prone.
He can’t catch a break.
I think the Bulls should trade Derrick Rose. I’ve thought this for over a year now. And his recent remarks have solidified my thoughts.
I think Rose can still be great in the NBA, but I think it’s time for Chicago to move on.
In Nick Friedell’s published ESPN article Wednesday, he outlined Rose’s injuries over the past few years.
“He tore the ACL in his left knee in April 2012 and missed the 2012-13 season,” he said. “He then tore the medial meniscus in his right knee in November 2013 and missed the rest of the 2013-14 season. Rose also had a meniscectomy on his right knee in February and missed 31 regular-season games during the 2014-15 season (including for illness and rest).”
The risk is not worth the reward anymore. There are teams in the NBA that need point guards and would love Derrick Rose. Someone will want him. I’m not sure Chicago is the place for him anymore.
Matthew Zampini is sports editor for The Daily Campus. He can be reached via email at matthew.zampini@uconn.edu. He tweets @Matt_Zamp.