Derrick Rose to Bulls: Thank you for trading me

Knicks guard Derrick Rose had some parting words for the Chicago Bulls in his introductory press conference on Friday.

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Knicks guard Derrick Rose had some parting words for the Chicago Bulls in his introductory press conference on Friday.

Rose, who was traded to New York along with Justin Holiday on Wednesday in exchange for Robin Lopez, Jose Calderon and Jerian Grant, seemed grateful for his change of scenery.

“I don’t know why I was traded,” said Rose, “but I would like to tell them thank you. For real.”

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​Rose also said that he had been hanging out with former Bulls teammate Joakim Noah in New York on Thursday, and that he’d like to see him in a Knicks uniform.

“I want him,” Rose said. “He knows that. I think his family knows that. I think everyone knows that.”

Rose, 27, is due to hit the free-agent market at the end of next season. His $21 million deal would clear up cap space for the Knicks should he choose to walk, though the three-time All-Star did express some interest in staying with the team long-term.

– Kenny Ducey