Once again there is no timetable for Derrick Rose to return to the Chicago Bulls as the playoffs inch closer. While appearing at a media session for the team, Rose simply said, "Who knows?" when asked about a potential return to the court following another knee surgery. This has been the growing trend for Rose who has suffered three straight serious knee injuries, halting his time on the court. Now as the Bulls once again work to adjust, the team could be preparing to move on from the point guard sooner rather than later.
The Bulls have seven regular season games left. They are making the playoffs, but how deep they can go depends on Rose. This is a growing trend as the team faced the same fate last year without the point guard. Chicago is not thrilled with how these last few seasons have gone and jobs are on the line as a result. Is Rose one of them?
According to Chicago Sun-Times writer Joe Cowley via Bleacher Report, the Bulls would love to trade Rose after another injury, but there is currently no market for him. In a video discussing Rose's situation with the team, he referenced the point guard's contract which totals over $40 million in his final two seasons. He is owed $20 million next year while commanding $21.3 million in 2016. There is not a team around that would trade for a player with that much money assigned to him who has missed 128 games thanks to three separate knee surgeries.
The idea of trading Rose is controversial and likely will not happen given his contract status and injury history. Would Chicago be better off if they brought someone else in? Of course the answer is yes if that player can stay healthy for the entire year. However, when Rose is healthy no one plays the position better.
If the team is going to be forced to trade someone this offseason, it could be Taj Gibson. The forward has lost playing time thanks to the addition of Nikola Mirotic along with Paul Gasol. Mirotic has quickly been proving that he is a star in the making and capable of being both a strong shooter and defender for the team. That makes Gibson expendable. The forward carries a lot of value on the open market. Many teams would love to have his presence either as a starter or Sixth Man.
The Bulls will need to make adjustments. It just remains to be seen exactly how they go about doing so. If the team faces another early exit in the playoffs, there will certainly be a lot of questions as to whether or not Rose is the right fit for the franchise.
