Derrick Rose joined the Cleveland Cavaliers earlier this offseason and he will have a chance to make it to his first NBA Finals. Rose, who used to be one of the best players in the league, hasn't had much success when it comes to playoff achievements. Being on the reigning Eastern Conference champions will definitely change it, and it won't be unlikely if Rose wins a championship ring next year.
However, things could have gone in a completely different way for the point guard. Back in 2010, NBA had one of the most interesting free-agency periods as LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, and a few other great players were free agents.
LeBron, Wade and Bosh ended up in Miami, forming the "Big Three," but they were also close to joining the Chicago Bulls, and Derrick Rose played a big role in the recruitment process.
Rose wanted free agents in Chicago
Chicago Bulls were one of the top destinations for free agents in 2010. They had a solid team that was led by Derrick Rose and it seemed they were just a superstar away from making noise in the playoffs. However, the Bulls did not want just one superstar, but they wanted more of them, and Rose helped his team recruit them.
"Oh yeah, yeah, I tried. People always said that I didn't recruit," Rose said, per ESPN's Dave McMenamin. "I tried to recruit. I put out the video, but it wasn't for me to say that.
I felt like it was for the organization to say that." It's obvious that the point guard gave his best in 2010, but it simply wasn't good enough as the top free agents decided to sign with the Miami Heat, becoming one of the biggest rivals of the Bulls.
On the contrary, the guard shared he did not want to help the team recruit Carmelo Anthony in 2014 as he felt it wasn't his job.
However, Rose wanted LeBron James in Chicago again in 2014, but the small forward decided to return to Cleveland.
Rose in Cleveland
Derrick Rose's recruiting efforts were mostly a failure, but he still ended up on a great team surrounded by other stars. Even though he is not the same player he was in 2010, he can still do a lot and help the Cleveland Cavaliers win another championship.
The point guard's biggest success was reaching Eastern Conference Finals in 2011. However, the Bulls were eliminated by the Miami Heat and the trio Rose wanted to lure to Chicago. Just a season after, Rose suffered an ACL injury which completely changed his career. Now, he will have a smaller role on the Cavaliers, but that's probably the best role for him at this point of his career.
