Chicago Bulls News: Derrick Rose update gives fans hope

A legitimate path now exists for a potential return to the city of Chicago and the Chicago Bulls organization for point guard Derrick Rose.

On Saturday, the New York Knicks informed Rose that the team will not be picking up his $15.6MM club option for the 2023-2024 NBA season. Rose will be an unrestricted free agent when NBA free agency starts on June 30.

Given that the Bulls have admitted that point guard Lonzo Ball will not be playing basketball ever again, er, I mean, next season, point guard is the most significant need that the team will have this summer.

That is why Bulls fans have wasted no time getting excited about the idea of Rose returning home this summer.

Rose played sparingly for the Knicks over the past two seasons as he appeared in 26 and 27 games respectively. Rose averaged 5.6 points per game this past season with the Knicks while averaging over 12 minutes played per game. Rose’s player efficiency rating with the Knicks last season was 10.1 and that is the lowest mark of his career for a season in which he was healthy for the duration.

Chicago Bulls fans are dreaming of the idea of Derrick Rose returning to the organization.

There is only one reason why the Bulls would sign Rose at this point in his career and that would be as a move to deflect criticism. Rose, in his current form at this point of his career, is not a basketball fit for what the team needs out of the point guard position.

The Bulls need a point guard that can operate as a facilitator on offense while also being able to hit the three-pointer on a consistent basis. That is not the type of point guard that Rose has become in his later years as an NBA veteran.

But, this is a Bulls’ organization and front office that has faced increased scrutiny in light of consecutive seasons where it was clear that the direction was not working. Therefore, the idea of the team pursuing Rose as a way to take the attention off of the incompetence of the team’s front office should not be discredited.