On Monday afternoon, former New York Knicks point guard Derrick Rose agreed to a one-year deal with the Cleveland Cavaliers worth $2.1 million, according to ESPN . Last season, Rose averaged 18.0 ppg and shot 47 percent from the floor.
Despite being injury plagued over the years, he managed to play in 64 games in his only season with the Knicks. Rose declared the Knicks were a super-team when he joined the team last season.
However, the team finished with just a 28-54 record and failed to make the playoffs as well.
Joining the Cavs, Rose will be a part of a team that has been Eastern Conference champs for the last three seasons. During his only MVP season with the Chicago Bulls, his team lost in the Eastern Conference finals to Lebron James’s Miami Heat.
This time around he will be on the same side as “King James” while competing for a championship. Something that should make Lebron feel better after recently discovering that starting point guard Kyrie Irving requested a trade from the team.
It is a good possibility that Derrick could soon take over the starting point guard role if Irving’s request is delivered by the Cavs front office. If so, it will give Rose a chance to have a much bigger role on a championship caliber team, as opposed to coming off the bench and being a role player.
Breaking: Derrick Rose has signed a 1-year, $2.1 million deal with the Cavs, per @ChrisBHaynes and @WindhorstESPN . pic.twitter.com/wOJ9WxS6Em
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) July 24, 2017
Signing a one-year deal may have been the best thing for D. Rose considering the recent rumors that Lebron James has been devastated by the team’s off-season chaos. Former GM David Griffin decided to step down from his position just before his contract was up.
Future Hall of Fame point guard Chauncey Billups turned down the position after being considered a strong candidate to replace Griffin.
Now, the team’s all-star point guard, who has been a huge part of their three-peat as conference champs, reportedly wants to leave to be the leader of his own team.
Kyrie Irving requests a trade from Cavs, sources told ESPN. LeBron James was blindsided and is disappointed: https://t.co/54afvYge9V
— Brian Windhorst (@WindhorstESPN) July 21, 2017
This past season, Derrick Rose proved he can still play at a high level in the NBA. However, the biggest question for Rose has been his health. In his only season with the New York Knicks, he showed flashes of his old self several times throughout.
If he can have an even better season this year, it could very well lead him to his first visit to the NBA Finals. Returning to a championship contending team could add the extra bit of motivation for Rose to do so.
[Featured Image by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE/Getty Images]
