Derrick Rose Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Derrick Rose Meeting With Lakers, Decision Expected Soon

July 20th, 2017 at 2:07pm CST by Luke Adams

2:07pm: Rose will likely make a decision this weekend, tweets Sam Amick of USA Today. The Lakers and Cavs appear to be the favorites, but Amick notes that Rose’s agent – B.J. Armstrong – has also been talking with the Bulls.

The Bulls are an unexpected addition — they already have a handful of point guards and a reunion with Rose doesn’t seem to make a lot of sense for the team at this point, so we’ll see if there’s any follow-up on that front.

1:15pm: The Cavaliers are reportedly engaged in “serious” discussions with Derrick Rose, but Cleveland isn’t the only team pursuing the veteran point guard. According to Chris Haynes and Ramona Shelburne of ESPN.com, the Lakers have a Thursday meeting lined up with Rose.

[RELATED: Available 2017 NBA Free Agents]

The Lakers have been in the market this summer for a veteran point guard to serve as a mentor for rookie – and Summer League MVP – Lonzo Ball. The club used its remaining cap room to sign Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, but still has the $4.328MM room exception available to offer free agents.

If Rose’s decision comes down to Cleveland vs. Los Angeles, he’ll have to weigh a handful of competing factors. ESPN’s report suggests that playing on a contender will be a consideration for Rose, and that would be a big check mark in the Cavs’ favor. Playing in Cleveland would also allow the former MVP to be closer to his family in Chicago.

However, the Lakers hope to pitch Rose on the fact that they can offer him a larger contract and more playing time, per ESPN. As Haynes tweets, sources say that Rose “just wants to play ball,” so if the Lakers can sell the free agent point guard on a significant, defined role, it’s possible they’ll gain the upper hand on the Cavs.

The Bucks have also met with Rose, though it’s not clear if they’re still in play as a potential landing spot.

Cavaliers In Serious Talks With Derrick Rose

July 20th, 2017 at 11:06am CST by Luke Adams

11:06am: The Cavs are believed to be offering Rose a minimum salary deal, per Windhorst and Wojnarowski in their full ESPN report.

10:23am: Free agent point guard Derrick Rose is engaged in “serious” discussions with the Cavaliers about a possible one-year deal, sources tell Brian Windhorst and Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link).

The Cavs don’t have much cap flexibility to sign free agents, given how far their team salary currently is into tax territory. The club also used a little more than half of its $5.192MM mid-level exception to sign draft-and-stash prospect Cedi Osman, so if Rose were to come aboard, it would be for the rest of that MLE or the veteran’s minimum.

A minimum salary deal would be more advantageous for the Cavs, who face a substantial tax penalty for each additional dollar they spend. A one-year, minimum salary contract for Rose would pay him approximately $2.12MM, but would only count for about $1.47MM for cap purposes for Cleveland. A minimum salary deal would cost about an extra $7MM in tax penalties, based on the Cavs’ current team salary.

Whether Rose is willing to accept a minimum contract remains to be seen. He’s one of the top free agents still available, but the market for his services appears to be dwindling. Rose met with the Clippers earlier this month, but L.A. ultimately opted to sign Milos Teodosic to address the point guard spot. The Bucks seem to have been Rose’s most active suitor, having reportedly met with him twice. However, Milwaukee is inching closer to the tax line, limiting the club’s ability to make Rose an aggressive offer.

Rose, who turns 29 in October, is coming off a season in which he struggled with his outside shot more than ever (.217 3PT%) and wasn’t an elite distributor or defender. Still, he continues to display an ability to get to the rim and put the ball in the net, averaging 18.0 PPG in 64 games with the Knicks. The possibility of having him coming off the bench to provide a scoring punch for the Cavs is an intriguing idea.

Cleveland has already signed one backup for Kyrie Irving this summer, inking Jose Calderon to a minimum salary contract. While the team doesn’t necessarily need more depth at the position, Calderon and Rose possess very different skill-sets, so both could see playing time if Rose signs.

The news of the Cavs’ discussions with Rose arrives in the wake of Irving suggesting the team is in “a peculiar place,” and also comes just days after a report indicated that LeBron James is concerned about the club’s offseason.

Bucks Expected To Meet With Derrick Rose For Second Time

July 13th, 2017 at 10:50pm CST by ChrisCrouse

The Bucks are expecting to meet with Derrick Rose for the second time this summer, Chris Haynes of ESPN.com reports. The two sides previously met to discuss his fit alongside Giannis Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton, and Malcolm Brogdon.

Haynes adds the compensation remains the main obstacle stopping Rose from joining the team.

Milwaukee is currently over the tax by approximately $1.6MM, though it still has the tax-payer’s mid-level exception at its disposal. That exception comes with a starting salary of roughly $5.19MM, as Luke Adams of Hoops Rumors recently outlined. The club has used a small portion of it to sign Sterling Brown.

The organization may need to shed salary in order to make a competitive offer. Haynes suggests that John Henson could be a prime trade candidate should they make that sort of move.

Clippers Sign Milos Teodosic

July 10th, 2017 at 3:27pm CST by Arthur Hill

JULY 10, 3:27pm: Teodosic has officially signed his contract with the Clippers, according to a tweet sent out by his agency.

JULY 6, 1:44pm: European point guard Milos Teodosic has reached an agreement with the Clippers, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.com. It will be a two-year, $12.3MM contract with a player option on the second season (Twitter link).

Several teams have been in competition for the 30-year-old, who is considered to be one of the top players outside the NBA. He was reportedly seeking a three-year deal worth $25MM to $30MM, but his new contract is substantially less, at least in the first season.

The Heat, Kings, Nuggets, Jazz, Nets, Bulls and Timberwolves were among the other teams that expressed interest. Minnesota offered its room exception, but understood that he could get more money elsewhere, tweets Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News. Brooklyn decided that Teodosic’s defensive shortcomings made him a poor candidate for big money or big minutes, according to NetsDaily (Twitter link).

A star with Serbia at the 2016 Olympics, Teodosic made his current team, CSKA Moscow, one of the best in the Euroleague. He has averaged 16.1 points per game over the past two seasons and 6.5 assists over the last three. The Russian squad was hoping to keep him, but admitted that it couldn’t compete financially with NBA teams.

Teodosic’s signing may end the Clippers’ interest in Derrick Rose, who met with the team on Wednesday. With Patrick Beverley and Lou Williams already on the roster, there doesn’t seem to be any room for Rose.

Mavericks Not In Mix For Derrick Rose?

July 6th, 2017 at 4:49pm CST by Luke Adams

4:49pm: The Mavericks aren’t expected to be in the market for Rose after all, a source tells Eddie Sefko of The Dallas Morning News (Twitter link).

4:20pm: The Mavericks appear to be in the mix for Derrick Rose, according to Marc Berman of The New York Post, who reports (via Twitter) that Dallas is emerging as a “serious contender” for the free agent point guard.

Dallas was linked to several notable point guards, including Jrue Holiday, in the weeks leading up to free agency. However, there wasn’t a clear path for the Mavs to pick up cap room for a deal near the maximum, and the team used its lottery pick to nab Dennis Smith Jr.

If the Mavs are still in the market for a veteran point guard to pair with Smith though, a tentative deal with Dirk Nowitzki will make things easier for the club to accommodate such a signing. Nowitzki is reportedly close to finalizing a two-year, $10MM contract to return to the franchise. His pay cut should give the Mavs up to about $15MM cap room with which to operate, even as Nerlens Noel‘s cap hit remains on the books.

Rose, 28, is coming off a season in which he averaged 18.0 PPG and 4.4 APG in 64 games for the Knicks. He has been linked to a handful of teams so far this month, though one potential suitor – the Clippers – went another direction today, striking a deal with Euroleague point guard Milos Teodosic.

Knicks Rumors: Rondo, Point Guards, Smart

July 5th, 2017 at 4:29pm CST by Luke Adams

The Knicks have been in touch with free agent point guard Rajon Rondo, according to Michael Scotto of Basketball Insiders (Twitter link). However, the two sides haven’t set up a meeting at this point, per Adam Zagoria of ZagsBlog (Twitter link).

While a report on July 1 indicated that New York had reached out to Rondo’s camp, Marc Berman of The New York Post suggests that the club didn’t formally make contact until today (Twitter link). Ian Begley of ESPN.com, who initially reported the team’s contact with Rondo on Saturday, reiterates that account, though he acknowledges that “no substantive conversation” happened over the weekend.

Regardless of when the Knicks first touched base with Rondo and his reps, it’s clear that the team continues to explore all its options as it contemplates adding a veteran guard to the roster. Here’s more on that search:

Some people who have been in contact with the Knicks recently got the impression that the team’s interest in Rondo isn’t particularly strong, per Begley.
The Knicks have heard from the Celtics, who are open to trading Marcus Smart, but it’s not clear whether or not New York is interested in Smart, writes Begley.
Derrick Rose and Shelvin Mack remain on the Knicks’ radar, according to Begley, who hears that the team is on the lookout for a mentor for rookie point guard Frank Ntilikina.

Clippers To Meet With Derrick Rose

July 4th, 2017 at 8:12pm CST by Luke Adams

The Clippers have lined up a meeting with free agent point guard Derrick Rose, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (via Twitter). According to Wojnarowski, Rose will sit down with the Clips on Wednesday.

It has been a busy week for the Clippers, who appeared to be heading for a rebuild when they sent Chris Paul to the Rockets last week. However, the team added multiple solid veterans – Patrick Beverley and Lou Williams – in that trade, agreed to re-sign Blake Griffin to a maximum salary contract, and have also agreed upon a sign-and-trade deal for Danilo Gallinari. So it looks like the team is merely retooling its roster in the wake of CP3’s exit, rather than embarking on a full-scale rebuild.

Although the Clippers acquired a point guard in Beverley, he’s not the kind of player who needs to have the ball in his hands a lot, so it makes sense for the club to be on the lookout for another player who can share the ball-handling load. The Clips still have the full mid-level exception ($8.4MM) available, but would be back in the tax if they use the full amount, and would be getting close to their hard cap of $125.266MM.

Rose, 28, is coming off a season in which he averaged 18.0 PPG and 4.4 APG in 64 games for the Knicks. There was reportedly some interest within the Knicks’ front office in bringing back the former No. 1 overall pick, though a source told Frank Isola of The New York Daily News that GM Steve Mills is opposed to the idea, and Mills currently has the final say on basketball decisions.

The former MVP also met with the Bucks this week.

Free Agent Rumors: Rose, Hayward, Randolph, Bogut

July 3rd, 2017 at 10:40pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Free agent point guard Derrick Rose wants to play for the Bucks, a source close to Rose told Gery Woelfel of the Racine Journal Times (Twitter link). Milwaukee will have to shed salary to make it happen. The team is over the salary cap and can only offer the $8.4MM mid-level exception unless it moves a big contract or two. Rose met with the Bucks on Monday. The Knicks are interested in bringing back Rose but it’s possible that New York could do a sign-and-trade with the Bucks.

In other free agent developments:

Gordon Hayward will “sleep on” it before deciding which team he’ll sign with, Sam Amick of USA Today tweets. The highly-coveted Jazz small forward met with Utah for 3 1/2 hours on Monday after meeting with the Heat on Saturday and the Celtics on Sunday.
The Kings don’t have much hope of signing veteran power forward Zach Randolph, sources informed Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee (Twitter link). The Cavaliers have a strong interest in Randolph, though he may have to leave money on the table to play for the three-time defending Eastern Conference champions.
Andrew Bogut and his agent will talk to more than 10 teams as he seeks to come back from a fractured tibia, Steve Aschburner of NBA.com reports. Bogut suffered the injury in his Cavaliers debut on March 6. He did not require surgery and Bogut shed his cast a few weeks ago, Aschburner continues. The veteran center expects to begin full basketball workouts within the next three weeks, Aschburner adds.

Free Agent Rumors: Wolves, Young, Knicks, Gay

July 3rd, 2017 at 3:58pm CST by Luke Adams

Although the Warriors remain an option for Nick Young, several other teams are in the mix, per Sam Amick of USA Today (Twitter link). Oklahoma City and New Orleans have been mentioned as possible landing spots, and Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News (Twitter link) says the Timberwolves have also inquired.

As Wolfson notes in a separate tweet, Minnesota has reached out to Gerald Green as well. The Timberwolves are “casting a wide net” for wing options, in the hopes that a bigger name falls into their lap for the $4.3MM room exception, says Wolfson.

Here are more free agency updates from around the NBA:

According to Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders (Twitter link), the Knicks have told multiple agents that they believe they’re closing in on a deal with a guard. Kyler suggests that mystery guard may be Derrick Rose or Shelvin Mack. Of those two, Mack seems like the more probable candidate, as a Sunday report suggested that Knicks GM Steve Mills isn’t bullish on bringing back Rose.
Rudy Gay was “impressed” by the Clippers‘ presentation to him on Sunday, but no deal is in place between the two sides, tweets Broderick Turner of The Los Angeles Times. The team met with Danilo Gallinari on the weekend as well.
Appearing on Zach Lowe’s ESPN podcast for the first time, cap guru Bobby Marks expressed skepticism that the Nets will go after Pistons restricted free agent Kentavious Caldwell-Pope as aggressively as they pursued RFAs a year ago. Brooklyn has frequently been linked to KCP and Otto Porter, but there has been no word yet about a Nets offer for either player. Brooklyn was scheduled to meet with Porter today, according to Matt Moore of CBSSports.com.

Free Agent Rumors: Hayward, Knicks, Rose

July 3rd, 2017 at 9:12am CST by Luke Adams

While there have been indications that Gordon Hayward will make a decision on his new team Tuesday or Wednesday, a source close to the player tells Steve Bulpett of The Boston Herald that Hayward may actually inform teams of his decision as early as tonight. Hayward met with the Heat on Saturday and the Celtics on Sunday, so all that’s left on his schedule is a Monday sit-down with the Jazz. While there was speculation earlier in the process that another team might enter the picture for Hayward, it appears he’ll decide between his three long-reported suitors.

Here’s more on free agency from around the NBA:

A source tells Marc Berman of The New York Post that the Knicks have told some agents their free agent plans are being held up to some extent, as they weigh their decision on whether to trade Carmelo Anthony. A report late on Monday night indicated Anthony is open to waiving his no-trade clause to join the Cavaliers or Rockets.
The Knicks have considered the possibility of seeking a sign-and-trade deal involving Derrick Rose in order to get something back for him, tweets Ian Begley of ESPN.com. Sign-and-trades are pretty rare, but can make sense when a player wants to join an over-the cap team — the Bucks, with whom Rose is meeting today, currently fit that bill.
The Nuggets‘ pitch to Paul Millsap included an appearance from Broncos linebacker Brandon Marshall, according to Nick Kosmider of The Denver Post, who says Marshall praised the city and told Millsap what it’s like to win in Denver. While it’s not clear if Marshall’s argument was a deciding factor, Millsap did commit to the Nuggets on Sunday night.
The Timberwolves‘ approach to free agency this summer has shown that the organization is transforming into a Tom Thibodeau-style team, as Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com explains. Having agreed to sign Jeff Teague and Taj Gibson, the Wolves still have their room exception available as they scour the market for shooting help.