Tom Thibodeau said that Derrick Rose has begun taking contact in practice, reports Nick Friedell of ESPNChicago.com. Thibodeau noted that there is no doubt that Rose will return to his old form. According to the article, Thibodeau said, “It was good. He’s right on schedule. So this is the next phase now. The rehab part went well. The non-contact stuff went well. So now this is the next step which is good.” The Bulls are optimistic that Rose will be able to participate in Team USA’s training camp this summer in advance of the World Cup of Basketball in Spain, per Friedell.
More from the windy city:
- It was rumored earlier that the Bulls would likely attempt to trade Carlos Boozer this summer. Boozer weighed in, saying, “I would love to be back in a Bulls uniform. We have a team that I don’t feel has reached our potential, mostly due to injuries,” tweets K.C. Johnson of The Chicago Tribune.
- Johnson also notes that Boozer told him that Bulls management said that they haven’t decided on his future, and they lauded him for his professionalism while dealing with reduced playing time (Twitter link).
- In a separate article, Johnson examines Boozer’s future more in depth.
- The team will only look to re-sign one of either D.J. Augustin or Kirk Hinrich, writes Johnson. Both players are unrestricted free agents.
- The Associated Press looks at Rose’s recovery progress, the Bulls’ offseason ahead, and what roster moves the team might make.