Derrick Rose has been a free agent for 15 hours, and somehow the Chicago Bulls still haven’t signed him.
What about the ticket sales!?
- In all seriousness, I’m fascinated to see the next step for the youngest MVP in NBA history. While an initial report from The Athletic’s Shams Charania shared that the Memphis Grizzlies had waived Rose, multiple other reports stated that the two sides actually came to terms on a buyout. So while it’s technically true that Rose was “waived,” it appears the guard asked to be let out of his two-year deal. And, well, that’s very different than Memphis simply giving up on him.
- Now, is it possible that the Grizzlies implied they would like to use Rose’s roster spot differently? Sure. But a buyout suggests that Rose had a say in leaving the franchise, which makes things all the more interesting. Is he in pursuit of more legitimate playing time elsewhere? Would a team even offer him that? If not, is Rose finally ready to hang up his sneakers? I’ve long thought that Rose’s plan would be to ink a one-day deal to officially retire as a member of the Chicago Bulls, and he’s now in a position to do precisely that.
- If one thing is for sure, I suspect that we’ll learn what the future holds for Rose in the coming days. SNY’s Ian Begley even suggested as much over social media. While he may no longer be an X-factor on the floor, he remains almost as popular as anyone in the NBA. Rose will not be able to keep things quiet for long.
- Find someone who loves you as much as Arturas Karnisovas loves guards. The Chicago Bulls will enter the 2024-25 season with a logjam in the backcourt, and I have to imagine this has left head coach Billy Donovan scratching his head. In case you missed it, we talked a lot more about this last week.
- Figuring out how to mix Zach LaVine and Coby White will be the primary challenge, but we also shouldn’t look past what this season could mean for Ayo Dosunmu. The 24-year-old is fresh off a breakout second-half performance. He showed how effective he could be as a downhill scorer and spot-up shooter. Finding ways to get him the ball should be a priority, particularly as the Bulls try to figure out their long-term roster outlook. But how exactly is this going to happen with LaVine, White, and Giddey also demanding the ball? Let’s not forget Lonzo Ball is on his way back, as well. I fear Dosunmu could quickly become underutilized, which would feel like a missed opportunity in a season that should be about player development.
- The Chicago Sky announced that they sold out Wintrust Arena 11 times this season, which is a new franchise record. Obviously, Angel Reese was a significant part of that, but this is still pretty darn impressive for an organization that just started a rebuild. I guess it’s just another good reminder that Chicago is a basketball town.
- The Athletic’s Scott Powers shared a few notes about the Chicago Sports Network, which is set to go live at 5:00 p.m. CT on Oct. 1. Bulls coverage will be headlined by Jason Goff, Kendall Gill, and long-time insider K.C. Johnson. If you want to get caught up on some of the logistics – including which carrier agreements are still on ice – give that a read here.
- DeMar DeRozan hit up the premiere of Netflix’s next NBA docu-series. Starting 5 will officially air on Oct. 9, which is right around the time that teams will tip off their first preseason games.
- I know it may sound silly, but one thing I’ll miss about DeMar DeRozan is his sheer star power. The six-time All-Star is one of the most well-connected and respected players in the league. He pops up in NBA commercials and is consistently spotted alongside other big-name players. Even with how poorly the team performed, there is no question DeRozan rose the Bulls’ level of recognition. It’ll likely be a long time before we hear someone with his level of fame announced to the United Center crowd.
- So … like … two plays?
- Matas Buzelis up next!