NBA Roster Rumors: Will Derrick Rose Join the Minnesota Timberwolves?
As expected, the Minnesota Timberwolves have emerged as the most likely destination for Derrick Rose as he clears waivers and becomes a free agent.
According to The Athletic's Jon Krawczynski, joining the Timberwolves is "extremely appealing" for Rose because he is already familiar with the way head coach Tom Thibodeau runs his team. The proximity of Minnesota to his hometown of Chicago is a huge plus as well.
As noted by Krawczynski in his report, Rose has been on the Timberwolves' radar ever since Thibodeau became the team's head coach and president of basketball operations in the summer of 2016.
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Reports indicate that the Timberwolves tried to acquire him from the New York Knicks ahead of the trade deadline last season, but they could not finalize the deal. Minnesota also explored the possibility of adding him to their lineup last summer, but they ended up signing Jeff Teague instead.
Many will question the wisdom adding Rose to the Timberwolves roster because of his offensive inefficiency and issues on the defensive end of the court. However, forward Taj Gibson believes that Rose's veteran presence and leadership will be a welcome addition to the team.
"That's my guy," Gibson said, via the St. Paul Pioneer Press. "We've been in the trenches for a long time. It'd be good to have him on our team because it's just good to have veteran leadership, but we'll just let Thibs handle that," he added.
During an appearance on ESPN 1000 AM last Thursday, Gibson also pointed out that Rose should be able to fit in with the core already in place.
"He's a scorer, he's a big guard, I think he could help any team he's given a chance to play for. But just having the fact he could possibly be with us, it'd be just like old times, I'm sure Tom would find a way to fit him into the system," he stated, according to the St. Paul Pioneer Press.
