It looks like former NBA MVP Derrick Rose is heading to the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Rumors have been swirling all week about Rose, who could be a backup or big-minute replacement for Kyrie Irving, who reportedly wants to be traded away from Lebron James and the Cavaliers.
According to reports released on Monday from Yahoo! Sports and ESPN, Rose has committed to sign with the Cavaliers after completing a physical. Rose will be paid $2.1 million on a one-year contract.
Via Twitter:
Derrick Rose has committed to sign with the Cleveland Cavaliers and completed his physical exam today, league sources tell The Vertical.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 24, 2017
Free agent Derrick Rose has reached an agreement on a one-year, $2.1 million deal with the Cleveland Cavaliers, league sources tell ESPN.
— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) July 24, 2017
The Cavaliers have had one of the weirder offseasons, and while adding Rose isn’t necessarily the strangest thing they have done, it could be a larger signal for the rest of the league with regard to what direction the team is going to go.
Rose played OK in New York last season, and would be well suited as a backup bench spark for a contending team if he found the right fit. The Cavaliers will likely try him out in lineups with Lebron, but how he fits in as of the end of July isn’t quite clear. Will he be a backup? Will he be the de facto starter if Irving is no longer on the team come opening night?
The 2017 NBA offseason has been endlessly interesting, and this move is another in a long series of twists and turns.