Derrick Rose will undergo surgery for a torn medial meniscus in his right knee, the Bulls announced, but it’s not clear whether the former MVP will miss the rest of the season. K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune tweets that until the surgery is complete, “it’s known” whether Rose will return, likely omitting the “not” as he typed. The team’s release states that Rose will be out indefinitely, though the Bulls are “bracing” for the prospect that Rose won’t be back this season, according to Marc Stein of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
It’s not as severe as the torn ACL that Rose suffered in his left knee in April 2012. That injury knocked him out of the playoffs that season and forced him to miss all of 2012/13. This ailment is nonetheless a blow to a Bulls team that had designs on a title run this year, and it appears Rose will miss at least a significant portion of 2013/14.
Chicago is about $7.5MM above the luxury tax threshold after having paid the tax for the first time last season. Owner Jerry Reinsdorf is notoriously stingy, so it’s worth wondering if the team may look to unload a few contracts if surgery reveals Rose will miss the season. For the time being, it likely thrusts Kirk Hinrich, who’s on an expiring contract, into a starting role, and the injury could force the Bulls into a decision on second-year point guard Marquis Teague, who emerged as a trade candidate during camp.