Derrick Rose will be the starting point guard for the Cleveland Cavaliers until Isaiah Thomas is able to return from his hip injury, which is quite the upgrade from his old job as starting point guard for the Knicks. However, to get to a contender, Rose had to take a significant pay cut, as he’ll make only $2.1 million this season on the veteran minimum.
Rose signed the deal in order to bet on himself and prove to the rest of the league that he can still play at a high level. If he can, he figures to cash in next summer when he hits free agency.
The first challenge for Rose is to prove he can stay healthy, as he’s played in 79 percent of his team’s games (130 of 164) over the past two seasons. That’s solid, and an improvement over his run of only 100 games played in three seasons prior, but teams will undoubtedly want to see if he’s shaken the injury bug before handing over a big contract. Beyond that, Rose needs to show he’s still a capable point guard in the NBA on both ends of the floor.
He’s never been an especially good three-point shooter, but players tend to look better in that area when playing with LeBron James. If he can show he still has some athleticism and life left in his legs despite so many injuries and surgeries, he might just be able to play his way into a strong deal next summer.
Rose is counting on it and told reporters on Tuesday that the reason he took the chance on a veteran minimum deal in Cleveland was because of his “hustling side” and he thinks when he hits free agency teams are going to have to pay him “double,” per ESPN’s Dave McMenamin.
“I get a chance to reintroduce myself back to the league,” Rose said. “I get to bet on myself. That was one of the reasons I came here, I get to bet on myself. And I’m from Chicago, I’ve got that hustling side; it’s in me, man. Next time you’ve got to pay me, you’ve got to pay me double, so it’s fine with me.”
It’s a fantastic quote, if nothing else. I have no doubts that Rose, with a good season, can get double his $2.1 million salary next season, although I’m pretty sure he means far more than that. When Rose signed, I’m not sure he knew exactly what kind of opportunity he was getting since Kyrie Irving was still on the roster and the Cavs undoubtedly looking to get back some point guard help in a deal. With Irving traded and Thomas sidelined with injury, he’ll have every chance to prove himself to the NBA as he says he plans to, and the Cavs will hope he can live up to that promise.
