Given Derrick Rose’s injury history, this season has been a relative success in terms of staying healthy. But Rose won’t make it to the finish line.
The Vertical’s Adrian Wojnarowski first reported that Rose will miss the remainder of the Knicks’ season with a torn meniscus in his knee, and the Knicks confirmed the news.
An MRI of D. Rose's left knee revealed a torn meniscus that will require an arthroscopy. He will be out for the remaining 5 games of season.
— NY_KnicksPR (@NY_KnicksPR) April 2, 2017
After winning the NBA MVP during the 2010-11 season, Rose tore the ACL in his left knee during the playoffs in 2012 and has never been the same. He returned after a year and half, playing only 10 games in the 2013-14 season before tearing the meniscus in his right knee. Rose then tore the same meniscus again in 2015.
The latest injury has no impact on the Knicks this season -- they’ve been sitting out Rose and Carmelo Anthony regularly over the past few weeks, perhaps in the interest of securing the highest draft pick possible.
But Rose is an unrestricted free agent after this season, and reports have already surfaced that he’s looking for a max contract. Whether that’s realistic or not, a full, healthy season would have created at least some leverage for Rose at the negotiating table with potential suitors.
Now, after yet another knee injury, it will be hard for any team to seriously consider giving Rose a long-term contract, let alone a five-year, $150 million max deal.
