Former All-Star point guard Derrick Rose will reunite with his former Chicago Bulls colleagues in Minnesota, as he signed with the Minnesota Timberwolves for the remainder of the season, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski. The Wolves had two open roster spots, so they didn't need to make a corresponding move to acquire the former Cleveland Cavaliers guard. Since Rose was released before Mar. 1, he is eligible for Minnesota's playoff roster, should they make it.
Back together again
The signing allows Rose to once again join forces with his former coach, Tom Thibodeau, and former teammates Jimmy Butler and Taj Gibson. Thibodeau coached Rose from 2010 to 2015. During that time, Rose earned two of his three All-Star appearances and became the youngest player in NBA history to win the Most Valuable Player award.
However, Rose's career course changed in the closing moments of game one of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals against the Philadelphia 76ers. With the Bulls up big, Rose landed awkwardly on his left leg after a hop step in the paint. Bulls fans know the rest of the story: Rose was diagnosed with a torn ACL and never reached the same heights as he did in 2010-11.
Rose never played in more than 66 games for the remainder of his career in Chicago and he posted a 14.1 PER and .017 win shares per 48 minutes after the injury. Chicago traded Rose, along with Justin Holiday, to the New York Knicks in exchange for Robin Lopez, Jose Calderon, and Jerian Grant prior to the 2016-17 season.
Rose most recently suited up for the Cavaliers this season, appearing in 16 games. The 29-year-old didn't put up eye-popping numbers: he averaged 9.8 points, 1.8 rebounds, and 1.6 assists with an 11.6 PER and -.015 WS/48 during his brief stay in Cleveland.
Where does he fit?
Rose will likely siphon minutes from fellow guards Tyus Jones, and Aaron Brooks as starting point man Jeff Teague's understudy. As of Thursday, Minnesota (38-28) sits in sixth place in the highly contentious Western Conference. They are a game and a half behind the Portland Trail Blazers for the third spot. It remains to be seen how much Rose can contribute to Minnesota for the rest of the year.