Cleveland Cavaliers guard Derrick Rose is communicating with the team amid reports that he’s contemplating retirement after his latest injury. According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, Rose has communicated with the front office, but his status moving forward is not yet known. Wojnarowski reported that Rose is still deliberating on whether to work toward a return from a sprained ankle or leave the game for good. The Cavaliers have allowed Rose to stay away from the team because he’s inactive due to the injury. He will not also be fined or suspended for his action.
Wojnarowski said Rose’s current status is different as that of the incident when he left the New York Knicks for a day without permission. Rose then explained that he had a family matter to attend to in Chicago. He later apologized while the Knicks fined him for his action.
Earlier, Dave McMenamin and Wojnarowski of ESPN reported there is a possibility that Rose might not return to the Cavaliers after suffering another setback in his career. Rose suffered a sprained left ankle last Oct. 20 and remained sidelined until now while he has missed 11 of the Cavaliers’ 18 games this season. A source told McMenamin and Wojnarowski that Rose is tired of being injured and it’s taking a toll on him mentally.
Rose signed a one-year deal worth $2.1 million with the Cavaliers in the offseason. An MVP winner in the 2010-11 season, Rose’s career was derailed by multiple injuries, including a torn ACL in 2012. Teammates LeBron James and Dwyane Wade both declared that while Rose’s absence doesn’t mean much to the team, they wish the point guard well in whatever decision he makes regarding his NBA career.
Shumpert to return Monday
Iman Shumpert is expected to play Monday when the Cavaliers take on the Philadelphia 76ers. Shumpert started in Rose’s place before he suffered a right knee soreness, which caused him to miss the Cavaliers’ last three games. However, coach Tyronn Lue said Shumpert would come off the bench against the 76ers while veteran playmaker Jose Calderon will remain with the starting unit.
In 12 games this season, Shumpert is averaging 5.2 points on 39.3 percent shooting from the field.
Cavaliers recall Osman, Zizic
Cavaliers' general manager Koby Altman announced that they had recalled guard Cedi Osman and center Ante Zizic from the Canton Charge, the Cavaliers’ NBA G League team. Against the Long Island Nets, Osman scored a team-high 21 points and grabbed eight rebounds 39 minutes of play while Zizic finished with 14 points with seven rebounds.
