The Cleveland Cavaliers are said to be serious in getting Derrick Rose to play alongside Kyrie Irving. The two has previously played as part of the USA Men’s National Basketball Team which competed in the 2014 FIBA World Cup. The Los Angeles Lakers are also trying to entice the 2011 NBA Most Valuable Player to become a mentor to rookie sensation, Lonzo Ball.
The Cleveland Cavaliers scenario
According to the latest report from ESPN, the 6’3” point guard will have a face-to-face meeting with the Cavaliers management days before Rose makes his decision purportedly next week.
Should he decide to join the Cleveland Cavaliers, not only will he get a chance to play for a top-notch NBA Finals contender, he’s getting closer to his hometown Chicago.
Yet there’s a downside, the Cavs are just offering him a one-year minimum contract worth $2.1 million. The main reason is simple. The team’s luxury tax is exorbitantly high, and just including Rose’s proposed $2.1 million contract will add $6.4 to the team’s luxury tax bringing it to more than $78 million for the coming season.
At 28-years old, a former NBA MVP and a three-time All-Star who averaged 18.0 points last season, Rose can get more money from other teams. The money the LA Lakers can definitely bring on the table is higher but just how much the Lakers offer to Rose is between the two camps for now.
The Los Angeles Lakers scenario
Should Derrick Rose decide to play for the Lakers, the front office is willing to give him more money and more playing time than what the Cavaliers can provide. Plus, he will have a better environment compared when he played with the New York Knicks last season. This could be the reason why the mood was good during the 3-hour meeting between Rose’s camp and the Lakers.
ESPN Sources: Derrick Rose completed approximate 3-hour meeting with Los Angeles Lakers. Both sides felt good about it. Deliberation time.
— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) July 20, 2017
But more than the money, playing for the Los Angeles Lakers gives him the chance to prove that the old Derrick Rose is back. Hampered by injuries for the last five years and even missing the 2012-13 NBA season, Rose has been making remarkable improvements on his game playing for the Knicks, only to find himself under the knife for the fourth time after tearing the meniscus in his left knee back in April.
Another reason why Rose could decide to join the Los Angeles Lakers, besides the money, is the prospect that LeBron James and Paul George might decide to fly to LA in 2018. Should this happen, it is given that the Los Angeles Lakers team will instantly become one of the top contenders in the West.
