When Derrick Rose went AWOL from the Knicks last season for what he called a family issue, rumors swirled that he was contemplating retirement. Rose denied it, but those whispers are reemerging.
Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN:
Story with @mcten filed to ESPN: Cavaliers guard Derrick Rose is away from team and evaluating his future in basketball, league sources tell ESPN. Story soon on site.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) November 24, 2017
As one Cavaliers source tells ESPN about Rose: "He's tired of being hurt and it's taking a toll on him mentally."
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) November 24, 2017
Rose has been out with what seemed like a relative minor, for him at least, ankle injury. The 29-year-old could stick in the league for a while thanks to his reputation and ability to attack the rim to create shots for himself. But the guard is a shell of peak form after years of more serious injuries. This isn’t the career anyone expected for him when he was named the youngest MVP ever in 2011.
Before the season, Rose was talking about getting a raise on his next contract. He seemed happy to join a contender and have LeBron James in his corner.
But something is amiss. Hopefully, Rose can find contentment – whether that’s continuing his NBA career or walking away.
