Having earned over $100 million with his adidas deal and NBA contract, Derrick Rose will be fine financially wherever he ends up.
But are his days as the top-dawg and point guard in Chicago coming to a quick end? According to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, the Derrick Rose “breakup with the Bulls” has already begun.
“I don’t know how long it’s going to last. I don’t know when it’s going to be complete, but you can sort of see it. The team and the franchise have moved on to a little bit of a certain extent. And while I’m one of the people that will pound the desk and say it is not Derrick Rose’s fault that he got hurt. The same with Kobe. These people who apply dislike to these guys…it’s not their fault. Maybe Kobe overdid it, but it’s not Derrick Rose’s fault that his knee got hurt. But his attitude has been…not terrific. The comments that he made about his contract in 2017. You want to talk about being tone deaf.”
Windhorst didn’t say anything that wasn’t already public knowledge, with Jimmy Butler assuming lead dog status, and Rose simply not being able to stay healthy.
Rose won’t be able dictate an astronomical salary demand from the Bulls, so Chicago holds all the leverage in regards to the point guard finishing his career elsewhere.
An even bigger question has to be answered, and that is, does Bulls management even want Rose back in 2017, reduced salary or not?
He’ll be a free agent two summers from now, and with a home in L.A., Rose could well indeed end up in another uniform, either by his choosing or the Bulls.