Knicks Derrick Rose Signs With Grizzlies; Ja Morant Insurance?

Derrick Rose, recently bid farewell from the New York Knicks, is returning to the scene of some of his finest hardwood hours.

Derrick Rose is going home.

Per Shams Charania, former New York Knicks point guard Derrick Rose is set to sign with the Memphis Grizzlies, placing him back at the scene of some of his finest hardwood hours. Prior to his NBA entry, Rose played a single collegiate season with the Memphis Tigers.

That one season as a Tiger launched him into stardom after dominating the Chicago high school scene. Averaging 14.9 points, 4.7 assists, and 4.5 rebounds, Rose was the headliner of a historic Memphis group that won its first 26 games and eventually reached the NCAA Men's Basketball national title game. For his efforts Rose, was granted third-team All-American honors and was a finalist for both the John Wooden and Bob Cousy Awards.

Though his time at Memphis ended under an aura of controversy, as his invalidated SAT scores from high school led to the NCAA vacating the Tigers' historic 2007-08 season, Rose was named the top pick of the ensuing draft by, ironically, the Chicago Bulls. That kicked started an active NBA career that eventually yielded the MVP Award in 2011.

While Rose hasn't been the same since suffering a torn ACL during the 2012 postseason, he has nonetheless built a linger prescience that has included two tenures with the Knicks (2016-17, 2021-23). In that span, Rose averaged 14.1 points and 3.8 assists in 152 appearances. Rose occasionally offered tantalizing flashes of what might've been in New York, notably earning a 30-point playoff game during the Knicks' 2021 postseason cameo. 

This season saw Rose fall out of the rotation of his longtime collaborator Tom Thibodeau, as made just one appearance in the new calendar year. The Knicks recently declined Rose's player option for next season, saving over $15 million.

Now, as he's going "home," Memphis can't be sure about the future of suspended young star Ja Morant. Rose provides leadership and insurance and maybe more.

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Geoff Magliocchetti is on Twitter @GeoffJMags

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