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The future of Derrick Rose and the Cleveland Cavaliers is currently up in the air. Rose has struggled both in staying on the court, and being effective while playing this season. As a result, he is currently re-evaluating whether or not he wants to continue playing basketball as he rehabs his sore ankle.
According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, Rose’s time away from the Cavs is different than when he went missing with the New York Knicks last season. He has maintained communication with the team while he mulls his future in basketball.
He left the Cavaliers on Wednesday, league sources said. Rose's increasing frustration with injuries is causing him to question his desire to continue playing, league sources said. The mental toll from a series of significant injuries that have diminished the production of the youngest NBA Most Valuable Player in history have played a part in the personal soul-searching on Rose's future, league sources said.
The Cavaliers say Rose's current absence is different than the Knicks situation because he is not an active player and he communicated with the franchise at the outset of his leave.
It seems surreal that Rose would be at a point in his career where he truly is considering hanging up his shoes. While he has struggled staying healthy, he still would likely be able to hang around in the league for a few more years. In addition to that, he likely would lose a lot of his sponsorship deals should he stop playing basketball. But considering the money he has already made in his career, maybe he feels as though his well-being and moving on should be the top priority.
It’s nice to see the Cavs provide support and understanding as Rose contemplates his decision. While they haven’t received much from him this season, this is still a person that they believed in and were trying to provide another chance for. Treating players with respect and understanding regardless of their status and situation is always a good precedent to set as a franchise.