Derrick Rose has gone from zero to hero overnight once again for the Chicago Bulls. The point guard's slow start to the season came to an end against the Oklahoma City Thunder just as trade rumors were beginning to rise around him. Rose has certainly faced questions about his future with the franchise after injuries and contract comments, but most of that was silence by a strong performance against one of the West's top teams.
Rose led the way with 29 points as the Bulls went on to beat the Thunder. It was his best performance so far this season and it came at just the right time. ESPN's Brian Windhorst reported on Thursday that the Bulls and Rose were destined for a breakup by the end of this season. He reported that the franchise was unhappy the point guard made comments regarding his contract along with the numerous injuries that continue to pile up.
"The Derrick Rose breakup with the Bulls has begun. I don't know how long it's going to last. I don't know if it's going to be complete. But you can sort of see it. The team and the franchise have moved on to a little bit of a certain extent," Windhorst said, via ESPN Radio.
While one good performance from Rose might not change the report from Windhorst true or not, it certainly shows that giving up on Rose now would be insane. The point guard proved that he can still be that clutch player to lead the franchise and if continues on a consistent basis, those trade rumors will disappear. According to Hoops Habit, the chances that Rose gets traded now are slim to none. The Bulls are going to hold out hope that the point guard's recent momentum continues and pairs well with the rising play of Jimmy Butler and Pau Gasol.
If the Bulls are looking to trade someone, it could be Joakim Noah that draws the short straw. According to the Chicago Sun-Times, the center is in a make-or-break season with the franchise as he plays out the final year of his contract. Noah is not starting right now for Chicago as the team favors Gasol with Nikola Mirotic. That could be a sign the Bulls might be willing to move on from Noah if need be. Head coach Fred Hoiberg recognizes that Noah does not want to be coming off the bench, he is going to do what is right for the team.
"Did he specifically say I want to come off the bench? No. Nobody wants to come off the bench, but it's the decision that we came up with," Hoiberg said, via ESPN.com. "He's been great. He's been as enthusiastic as anybody over there on the bench when he's not in the game, and he's always going to bring it when he's on the floor, so no, things are fine."
With Taj Gibson, Mirotic, Gasol and rookie Bobby Portis, the Bulls have a lot of bigs on the roster. That may or may not hurt Noah considering his contract makes him trade bait if the Bulls feel they need a change.
