Derrick Rose has been working out this offseason in preparation for the 2015-16 season as he hopes to get back to his MVP form. By now everyone knows the injury history of Rose and how he has played in only 100 games over the past four seasons but he is eager to prove he is still one of the best players in the NBA. While that may be motivation enough, Rose is also motivated by the fact that he will be a free agent soon and he wants another big contract, according to Nick Friedell of ESPN.
Rose is currently dealing with a civil suit in which he has been accused of being involved in a gang rape but he says that he has had tunnel vision and is ensuring that he is working hard and getting ready for the season. Rose isn't set to become a free agent until the summer of 2017 but it still seems as though that is on the back of his mind.
"Making sure that my family is financially stable as far as, you see all the money that they're passing out in this league, I'm just telling the truth, just knowing that my day will be coming up soon. It's not for me, it's for my son P.J. and his future. So that's what I'm thinking about right now," said Rose.
Rose signed a five year $94.3 million extension with the Bulls back in 2011 and still has two years remaining on that contract at more than $20 million per but that won't stop him from thinking about his next contract. As of right now it would be hard for any team, including the Bulls, to be able to make any type of long-term investment in the 26 year old point guard because he just can't stay on the floor. The good news for Rose is that he has two more years to prove he is still an elite player and that he can stay healthy. If he stays injury free the next two years Rose will enter free agency at just 28 years old and will be highly sought after.
As for where his next deal might come from, Rose wants it to be with Chicago but he is also keeping his options open. It is still way too early to even know whether the Bulls might want to pay him in 2017 but it's not too early, in Rose's opinion, for him to think about his free agency. Rose is entering a critical two year stretch in his career where his play and health will determine whether he is worth another huge contract.
