Derrick Rose is well known for his staunch stance against recruiting other stars to play with him in Chicago, and Rose isn't going to change, even with his Chicago Bulls pursuing Carmelo Anthony this offseason. In an interview with Yahoo! Sports' Marc Spears, Rose said he doesn't plan on recruiting Anthony, although the Bulls star made sure to compliment Anthony's game.
Derrick Rose won’t recruit Carmelo Anthony, Darren Collison is Clippers’ No. 1 priority
While Rose “loves” Anthony’s game, he won’t recruit the Knicks star to Chicago.
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Rose gave his rationale for not recruiting, saying "it's not his job" and that if Anthony or other big-time free agents "want to come, they can come." But while Rose won't be doing any direct recruiting of Anthony, he did toss some bouquets at the Knicks star:
“I love Melo’s game,” Rose said. “He’s a great player. Takes the game serious. He’s consistent. He shoots the ball great. I love his heart.
“I can play with anybody, no matter who it is. I believe I can play with anyone if they step on the court with me.”
Rose also gave an update on his injury status, saying he’s sure he’ll be ready for next season after undergoing surgery on a torn meniscus in November. Rose is also expected to participate in the Team USA training camp in late July, although he won’t commit to it just yet:
“I still don’t know yet,” Rose told Yahoo! Sports at the Drew Gooden Foundation Basketball Camp on Sunday. “If I’m feeling right and the time is [right], for sure I will go out there. My body is responding good, but you never know.
“Right now, I haven’t really thought about that. I am just worrying about just trying to get back every day and I’m really taking rehab one day at a time instead of trying to think about competing.”
Rose is going to sit down with his agent, B.J. Armstrong, to decide about the camp in the near future.
Collison is Clippers' No. 1 priority
Darren Collison opted out of his $1.985 million contract for next season with the Los Angeles Clippers, but Clippers head coach and president Doc Rivers made it known he wants Collison to return, according to Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times:
“You know our first guy, I’ll be honest, is one of our guys that opted out,” Rivers said. “He’s a little guy. That’s very important for us.”
Collison averaged 11.4 points and 3.7 assists for the Clippers last season. With several starters, including Chris Paul, missing time due to injury, Collison started 35 games.
To re-sign Collison, Los Angeles would likely have to use a good chunk of its mid-level exception, which is worth $5.305 million. The Clippers will surely look at making a big move this offseason, but with little cap flexibility, smaller moves around the edges of the core is a more likely scenario.
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