Milwaukee Bucks: Examining the 2017 version of Derrick Rose

Conclusion

Considering the player he once was, the fact that we’ve reached a point where NBA fans, justifiably, react negatively to the idea of Rose joining their team is sad above all else.

The NBA is hardly lacking in stars, but it’s hard to dispute it would be an even better league if Rose was still playing at the level that earned him so many honors in the early years of his career.

The realization for most has to be that Derrick Rose has changed immeasurably, though. There may be a route to him still being positively impactful for a winning team, but the mumblings suggest there’s a disconnect between how Rose views himself, and what he’s actually achieved in recent seasons.

Prior to his latest meniscus injury, Rose had been reported as heading into free agency seeking a $150 million max contract.

Very simply, that couldn’t be more unrealistic. It would take the most inept and irrational team in recent NBA memory to pull the trigger on such an offer.

Side note: That is not a dare, Bucks. Please DO NOT be that team.

In Milwaukee’s case, they need a speedy point guard who can get to the rim and create offense for himself and others to round out their point guard rotation. It’s not impossible for Rose to be that player, but it’d seem unlikely he’ll accept what it would take for that fit to come even remotely close to working.

For Rose to have any chance of helping the Bucks, he’d need to essentially be a point guard equivalent of what Michael Beasley was last year. A cheap, talented, but flawed bench player who is relied on for nothing other than to kickstart a bench unit when Giannis Antetokounmpo is on the bench.

There’d be no circumstance where Rose should see the court alongside Giannis, let alone start. And in that regard, if Rose wants to accept a really cheap deal to back up Malcolm Brogdon for a year, maybe it could work for 15-20 minutes a night.

The problem is that if we have to stretch that far to imagine any possible positive fit he could have in Milwaukee, it’s very obviously not a clever move to begin with.

In all likelihood, Rose won’t take the discount needed, the Bucks won’t clear the cap space or roster spots on their end, and this will join Dwyane Wade in the history of strange Bucks’ free agency pursuits.

Next: Milwaukee Bucks: The Eastern Conference is weaker now

In having to stop and think about it for even one day, though, it has just made me sad for the player Derrick Rose once was, and not remotely interested in the player he now is.