The Cleveland Cavaliers appear close to adding an All-Star, but there are some very important caveats.
The Cavs are closing in on a one-year contract with point guard Derrick Rose, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst and Adrian Wojnarowski reported Thursday, citing sources.
Rose played in 64 games last season with the New York Knicks, scoring 18 points per game, shooting 47.1 percent from the floor. When healthy, Rose can still be a very effective player. Of course, “when healthy” is pretty much the defining qualifier of the 28-year-old’s NBA career.
Rose’s entire career has been hampered by knee injuries. He tore his ACL in the 2012 playoffs and missed the entire 2012-13 season. He then injured his other knee early in the 2013-14 season, causing him to miss the rest of that campaign. In his first season with the Knicks, Rose tore the meniscus in his left knee in April and missed the rest of the season.
But if he can get healthy and stay on the floor with the Cavs, Rose has the chance to make a real impact. Cleveland is the defending Eastern Conference champion with an already impressive superstar core headlined by LeBron James and including Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love. Since Rose won’t need to be “the man,” the Cavs likely could manage the former MVP’s minutes.
Thumbnail photo via Adam Hunger/USA TODAY Sports Images
