Could Derrick Rose Sign With The Dallas Mavericks In 2017?
Derrick Rose has been one of the hottest names in the NBA throughout his entire career with the Chicago Bulls. It has been a rocky road due to injury problems, but when he is healthy, he is still a major playmaker.
Looking ahead to 2017 NBA free agency, Rose will be one of the headline players available. Rose won’t be the only big name available, but he could very well be the most intriguing.
Charles Rahrig V of FanSided.com opined that the Dallas Mavericks could be the top landing spot for Rose. It is certainly an intriguing thought, and a possibility with the way that owner Mark Cuban likes to push for star players in free agency. That being said, could Rose really end up signing with the Mavericks when 2017 free agency rolls around?
Rose has the rest of the this season and all of next season left on the five-year, $94.3 million deal that he signed with the Bulls. It was a great deal at the time, but the injuries have completely changed the perception of the contract.
Throughout the course of the 2015-16 NBA season thus far, Rose has played in and started 48 games of the 56 that the Bulls have played. He has been much more reliable and consistent than in years past. Rose has averaged 16.5 points, 4.8 assists, and 3.7 rebounds per game in those 48 games.
“I just feel like I’m back. I’m just out there playing. Whatever I can do to get my team a victory, that’s what I’m going to try to do. When I’m out there, they’re giving me midrange [shots], they’re giving me drives to the lane. Just mixing up my game and trying to play a solid game while I’m out there.”
Hearing those comments from Rose is a very good sign for the Bulls and his future free agency options.
At just 27-years-old, Rose still has the instincts from his early NBA days. Rose has shown the ability to get to the rim with ease like he used to, but the finishes simply haven’t been there.
Imagining Cuban making a run at Rose isn’t hard to do. He made the run to sign Deron Williams ahead of this season, and has been very aggressive with other stars who have dealt with injury issues as well. Rose would fit into that pattern and playing in Dallas might very well be of interest.
Leaving Chicago wouldn’t be a very easy thing for Rose to do, though. He grew up in Chicago and his dream as a young player was to lead the Bulls to championships like Michael Jordan did. While he is no longer the face of the Bulls’ franchise, he is still a big piece in the Bulls’ championship hopes.
They will likely have the money to make a run at Rose and the Bulls may not be interested in matching the offer that could come Rose’s way. If he is able to stay healthy, there will be many teams knocking on Rose’s door trying to convince him to sign with them.
Chicago is very happy with Jimmy Butler taking over the franchise player role, but that doesn’t mean that they don’t view Rose as an incredibly important long-term piece either.
Many rumors will be swirling surrounding Rose in the coming year and a half. He may not have been able to maintain the MVP play that he showed early in his career, but he is still a player that many teams fear. As long as he is still functioning and able to play basketball, he will be receiving offers.
Dallas is definitely a team to keep an eye on and it wouldn’t be shocking at all to see Rose end up being one of Cuban’s stars brought in via free agency list.
Do you think Derrick Rose will leave the Bulls in 2017? Are the Mavericks a good fit for Rose?
[Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images]
