Cleveland Cavs Rumors: Former NBA MVP Derrick Rose In Talks To Join LeBron James On Cavs?
During the offseason, the NBA rumors continue for the Cleveland Cavaliers as they try to find ways to contend with the Golden State Warriors. Derrick Rose’s name has popped up as someone looking to head to a different team, whether it be the Milwaukee Bucks or the Los Angeles Clippers. Now Cleveland Cavs rumors are suggesting that the NBA free agent is interested in joining LeBron James on the roster. The former NBA MVP and All-Star would give the Cavs some additional help, although not necessarily the type of help other teams picked up this summer.
A report on Thursday afternoon from ESPN‘s Brian Windhorst and Adrian Wojnarowski indicates that NBA free agent Derrick Rose and the Cleveland Cavaliers are in talks for a one-year deal. The deal would be worth about $2.1 million for the one season and would add $6.4 million to the team’s luxury tax bill, bringing it to around $78.2 million next season. It would also add a veteran point guard to help take some of the load off starter Kyrie Irving in the backcourt. Rose is currently 28-years-old and entering his ninth season in the league after spending most of his career in Chicago, and just last season in New York.
While with the Knicks last season, Derrick Rose averaged 18 points, 4.4 assists, and 3.8 rebounds in about 32.5 minutes a game. The former NBA MVP put up career averages of 19.5 points, six assists, and just under four rebounds per game. While he’s nowhere near the caliber of player he once was, he certainly has shown he can still contribute quite a bit to a team such as the Cavaliers. However, the knock on Rose continues to be that he’s injury-prone, although if his time is limited, that may not be as much of a concern in Cleveland.
As mentioned, Derrick Rose was also looking into possibly joining the young and talented Milwaukee Bucks’ team. Rose was set to take a second meeting with the Bucks, according to an ESPN report a week ago. If Rose joined Milwaukee, he would be teamed up with Giannis Antetokonmpo, Khris Middleton, and the NBA Rookie of the Year Malcolm Brogdon. The Bucks already had three point guards on their roster, but clearly adding Rose to the mix could help a young contending team get better as well. Still, most players would probably prefer joining a top contender such as Cleveland or Golden State with an immediate shot to win the title.
The Cleveland Cavs added several veteran stars to their roster last season including former Atlanta Hawks’ sharpshooter Kyle Korver and multi-time NBA All-Star Derron Williams. Still, the team ultimately fell to the star power of the Golden State Warriors, 4-1 in the 2017 NBA Finals. Whether or not Derrick Rose is enough to help get this team another championship remains to be seen, but a one-year deal certainly seems advantageous for Rose based on those lingering “LeBron to the Lakers” NBA rumors.
[Featured Image by Mike Stobe/Getty Images]
