Derrick Rose’s NBA future is uncertain, leaving the Cleveland Cavaliers short another point guard and many wondering if Rose will return to the Cavs.
Rose reportedly left the team earlier this week and is deciding whether he wants to even play basketball anymore. He’s potentially leaving $80 million in endorsements on the table if he decides to call to call it quits. That’s a lot of money, but it’s also a tenuous situation for Rose’s teammates.
LeBron James tried to downplay the impact Rose not playing for Cleveland anymore would have. Instead, he presented it as a personal issue.
“I don’t think it means too much for the team, but I think more importantly as one of his brothers, that’s somebody we got to know these last couple months,” James told Cleveland.com. “We want, whatever he decides to do, we want the best for him. At the end of the day, you can’t substitute nothing for happiness.”
Dwyane Wade also said he’s pulling for Rose to find happiness, and that he’s sympathetic despite not having to deal with injuries on the same level as his Cavaliers teammate.
“We just want Derrick to be happy, we want him to feel confident in whatever decision he decides to make,” Wade said. “We’re here for him and we just want him to know that.”
Cavs coach Tyronn Lue would not talk about Rose’s situation with Cleveland.com, but said he sent Rose a text saying he has a place on the team. He later gave a quote to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin reiterating that point.
Cavs coach Tyronn Lue says the team expects Derrick Rose to be back with the team, but would not provide a timetable. “Take as long as he wants to take and we wish him well and we want him back,” Lue said.
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) November 24, 2017
Rose’s former coach, Knicks coach Jeff Hornacek, also sympathized with Rose and his injury woes.
“A lot of guys get frustrated when they get hurt and they have to come back. But usually players are hurt once and then they can come back and play. Derrick’s had multiple injuries like that,” Knicks coach Jeff Hornacek said. “So I can see how mentally it frustrates you and then something happens again, you get another injury, and it’s hard. So I hope that he can deal with the ankle injury he has now and comes back and plays because he’s a great player.”
Rose knows more about the physical and mental anguish that comes with professional sports more than most NBA players. At this point in his career, he genuinely feels like he’s gone through enough, which would make Cleveland the end point to a disappointing career instead one last chance at a rebirth.
