A former NBA MVP may team up with a three-time MVP next season.
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According to sources, Derrick Rose is in serious talks to join LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers on a 1-year deal.
The Cavaliers have had a pretty quiet offseason, one in which there have been rumors that James has been disappointed with. The team hasn’t done much, if anything, to improve their team enough to dethrone the Golden State Warriors or even some other teams in the league. Adding a player such as Rose may be their only chance at improving their roster, although it may not be much.
Rose has been plagued by injuries since his 2011 MVP campaign, but proved to be valuable last season when he averaged 18 points and 4 assists, while shooting 47% from the field for the New York Knicks. If he’s able to stay healthy, Rose would be more valuable of a backup to Kyrie Irving than Deron Williams was last season.
However, the biggest challenge for Rose would be if he’s able to not be the first, second or even third option on offense. With three All-Stars and multiple scoring options, the Cavaliers and Rose will have to come up with a clearly defined role for Rose. He’ll have to understand that he’s no longer the “man” and that this is James’ team, and Irving’s team after him. Heck, even Love’s team after that (unless he’s traded).
I think that with a clearly defined role, adding Rose can help the Cavs get that much closer to defeating the Warriors. I don’t necessarily think he’s the answer to their title hopes, but he does help. At this point in the offseason, I think that a 1-year deal at a rate of $2.1 million may be a discounted price if Rose can stay healthy and inch closer to his previous MVP form. Heck, what do they have to lose?
