New reports indicate that the Chicago Bulls prefer to trade away Derrick Rose first before shopping one of its key players. According to various sources, the team is currently looking for other franchise who are willing to take away the point guard.
During the late 2000s, the NBA community had high hopes for Rose, with many calling him the next superstar of the league. Some even said that he could have been the Stephen Curry of his time.
However, as the years went by, Rose's on-court performance began to decline. Fans also began to see how prone he is to injury, which oftentimes causes him to miss the bulk of regular seasons.
The Bulls, however, tried to make the best of what they have and retained Rose, hoping that he would one day return to his original playing form. But, that never happened and Rose is now nearing the last year of his contract with the team. According to 24/7 Sports, he is expected to make $21.3 million in the 2016-2017 season.
But, as noted by league sources, it seems the Chicago franchise is planning on changing that. According to Basketball Insider, sources close to the team said the Bulls are "actively willing" to trade away Rose. For the team, this is reportedly its first priority.
They want to release Rose as soon as possible in order to create enough cap space to retain Jimmy Butler, who is currently gathering attention from other teams such as the Minnesota Timberwolves.
This is why the Bulls need to act fast. If they want Butler to remain on their roster, they must find another team that's willing to take Rose. This is not as easy as it seems especially given Rose' on-again off-again performance during games. In addition, as mentioned earlier, he is prone to injuries which can cause team owners to question if he's really worth the money.
But then again, Rose still has his good moments on the court and can still serve as a good addition to any team. All the Bulls have to do is to find a team that still believes in Rose.
