Hey Look, We Get To Talk More About How Derrick Rose And The Bulls Front Office Don't See Eye To Eye

LAS VEGAS ­— This relationship wasn’t going to end well. Not for the Bulls, not for Derrick Rose. It still might not. But for the first time in his career, Rose, who has three years left on his contract, seems ready to step up and mend a rocky partnership. “I know it’s been there,’’ Rose told the Sun-Times, acknowledging there has been growing tension between the organization and his camp. “I heard there were some upset people.

“I’m happy I didn’t personally see it. I don’t want to see that. I kind of wonder where it was coming from because it seemed like whenever I was around, everything was all right. It bothered me because when I wasn’t around, I would hear from certain people that everything wasn’t all right.’’ That’s because things often weren’t all right. Multiple sources in the organization say tension was mounting because Rose allowed his camp to take shots at the franchise. Gradually, there seemed to be less communication between the Bulls and their biggest star. And tensions hit a peak when Rose, who has a five-year, $94.8 million contract, seemed to want no part in the recruitment of players. The Bulls’ pursuit of free agent Carmelo Anthony was the latest example. Looking back, it’s clear Rose wasn’t all that interested in teaming with Anthony, who chose to return to the New York Knicks. Rose was much more aggressive in the Bulls’ pursuit of free agent Pau Gasol, not only asking for his phone number, but giving a hard sell to the big man on joining the Bulls.

So why Gasol and not Anthony? “[Gasol is] someone that I knew I could play with,’’ Rose said. “You think about Pau, him now being in the East, what he’ll be able to achieve with the way we play, the way we dump the ball in the post a lot. It could be great.’’ As far as tensions with his own organization, Rose didn’t single out one side or the other. At 25 and two knee surgeries reminding him he’s mortal, it’s time to stop pointing fingers. “This is a new beginning,’’ Rose said several times. “It really is.’’

So this happened late yesterday. Joe Cowley from the Sun Times dropping a story about the rift between Derrick Rose and the Bulls. How he was supposed to come to the Melo dinner and didn’t. How the front office is sick of his “camp” which is code for BJ Armstrong and Reggie Rose. Then to add on to the whole thing Jerry Reinsdorf released a statement basically calling the story fiction and that Joe Cowley is a piece of shit.

So here we are. A lot of things seemingly out in the open. First let us back up a second and remember that Joe Cowley was the former White Sox beat writer who has always been at odds with Reinsdorf and truly is kind of a piece of shit. He’s basically a Mariotti junior. A guy who replaces quality analysis with trolling. That’s where Jerry’s anger came from last night. It wasn’t just the story, it was who wrote it, I firmly believe this.

But let’s say everything in that piece is correct. That the Bulls and D-Rose’s camp are at odds. Is that anything new? Not to me it isn’t. And guess what, it’s sort of expected. Derrick Rose hasn’t played basketball for the Bulls for 2 years (minus the start of last year). Do you know what happens when you don’t play basketball? People talk. People mumble shit under their breath. People get frustrated and leak information. All the focus is off the court and when that happens NOTHING good can come of it. So what I’m saying is I honestly don’t care about all of this stuff. Reggie, BJ, Gar, Pax, all the fractured relationships and poor communication, none of it matters. All that matters is that Derrick Rose comes back and plays like Derrick Rose. ALL the bad blood disappears when that occurs. No these two sides will never be best friends. There are years of tension. BJ getting demoted when the Gar/Pax regime began, Reggie thinking the Bulls dealt with the first injury incorrectly, the Bulls thinking Derrick Rose could’ve played in the spring of 2013, that all is real. But when Derrick Rose returns it’s all just noise. The on the court stuff is all that matters. So forget Joe Cowley and everything that went down. The minute Derrick Rose becomes Derrick Rose again it will all no longer matter. It will be there, but it won’t matter. I truly believe this.

Also, if you’ve read anything this week, D-Rose is most definitely back.