Derrick Rose pulled a disappearing act on the New York Knicks earlier this week, and sources said he briefly talked about walking away from basketball altogether for a while, but today Rose said he’s happy to be back with his teammates and is ready to get back on the court. Despite the minor mental breakdown, Rose is very much confident in his abilities, so much so, he’s seeking a max contract when he becomes a free agent at the end of this season.
via ESPN’s Ian Begley:
Some close to Rose have told friends he will seek a max contract this summer. For Rose, that pact would be for five years and nearly $150 million.
The Knicks would need to use nearly all of their cap space to ink Rose to a max contract.
Rose previously said he would welcome a long-term contract with the Knicks and they were keeping an open mind, but this incident has certainly added another factor into that decision. The Knicks have been known to make terrible deals, offering big contracts to washed up players and trading away young promising players, but one would hope that maybe one day they’ll learn from their mistakes.
The Knicks chances of making the playoffs are down to 10 percent, and they’re looking at another losing season. That makes the likelihood of Rose’s return just as small. But again, this is the Knicks so you still won’t know for sure until the time comes.