Before the trade deadline in February, some people think Derrick Rose’s hometown team ought to be interested in acquiring him.
Is Derrick Rose eligible to re-join the Chicago Bulls?
In a post-game interview on NBC Sports on December 16, Bulls analyst and former Illinois star Kendall Gill said that Billy Donovan‘s team could use some help in the backcourt and that a trade for their former franchise cornerstone could be very beneficial.
Gill said: “[The Bulls need] a point guard that knows how to run an offense and knows how to get everybody in sets so that they can get easy shots, then everything [on] the offense is going to be a lot easier and, guess what, we saw a point guard that just entered the game for the New York Knicks that hasn’t been playing very much…He could help us, man,”
“We need a guy that can break down defenses…You get a true point guard. You get a guy that wants to come back home and play for the Chicago Bulls,” Gill said. “You saw the fan reaction to him, and [you get] a guy that can help us break down defenses and get the ball to the right people.”
Derrick Rose is currently out of the running for a position in the NBA rotation after the New York Knicks decided to stick with a nine-man rotation while keeping the former MVP on the bench.
Gill claims that despite his sparse playing time in 2022–23, there is still cause to think that the veteran could contribute some significant minutes within a rotation for a team, and that team might be the Chicago Bulls.
Although he may not be the well-known building block he once was, the point guard has still found himself serving as a fantastic role player over the last five seasons. He has averaged 15.1 points, 4.3 assists, and 2.5 rebounds per game while shooting 47.3% from the field and 36.0% from beyond the arc.
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Derrick Rose finally played during the Knicks’ road victory over the Chicago Bulls, entering the game at the 3:31 mark of the final period after suffering five consecutive DNPs.
DERRICK ROSE DRAINS IT 👌
CHICAGO GOES WILD 🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/k2a6xU3yCR
— KNICKS ON MSG (@KnicksMSGN) December 17, 2022
The 34-year-old was welcomed by raucous cheers and thunderous applause from the crowd at the United Center, where he spent the first seven seasons of his professional career.
The Chicago native then made a long-distance jumper in less than a minute, giving the Knicks a 114-84 lead overall. In response, the crowd clamored for their beloved city’s icon once more.