New York Knicks: Derrick Rose Won't Talk Contract Until Offseason
Derrick Rose wants to retire as a member of the New York Knicks, but he won’t be talking about his contract until after the 2016-17 NBA season.
Marc Berman of The New York Post set the New York Knicks beat ablaze when he reported that Phil Jackson was considering signing Derrick Rose mid-season. The potential for Rose re-signing undoubtedly exists, but the notion of a mid-season move was nothing short of shocking.
Following the Knicks’ 118-114 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves, Rose addressed the report head-on.
Rose has been a revelation for the Knicks after spending the past five seasons battling through injuries and reassuring fans that he can still play. He’s looked the part through 19 games as the Knicks’ most lethal slasher.
In response to the report that the Knicks are considering offering a mid-season contract extension, Rose stated that he won’t negotiate until the offseason.
That’s a wise approach to a career-defining contract decision.
Through 19 appearances, Rose is averaging 16.8 points, 4.8 assists, and 4.2 rebounds in 32.2 minutes per game. He’s shooting 44.5 percent from the field and is converting at an efficient rate of 84.5 percent at the free throw line.
Rose has looked the part of a star in recent games with 24 points during the 118-114 win over the Timberwolves and 30 points against Russell Westbrook and the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Since being held to just three points against the Dallas Mavericks, Rose is averaging 19.2 points on 45.1 percent shooting in a nine-game span.
For as impressive as Rose has looked in 2016-17, there’s still the discouraging reality that he’s been injured in five consecutive NBA seasons. He missed 16 games in 2015-16, 31 in 2014-15, 72 in 2013-14, 82 in 2012-13, and 27 in 2011-12.
Rose looks as explosive as he has in any season since he won MVP in 2010-11, but he’s still a player who carries injury concerns.
Re-signing Rose wouldn’t necessarily be a bad idea, but it’d be a wise basketball decision to let a full season play out before investing four or five seasons in his knees holding up.
Even Rose appears to recognize that.
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