Derrick Rose to Leave Cavaliers and NBA, Reports Suggest

News reports today suggest Cleveland Cavaliers guard Derrick Rose will depart the franchise and is considering leaving the NBA and Basketball entirely.

Sources from inside and outside the Cavaliers organization point to a confused situation where no-one knows what Rose’s intentions are. Since picking up a torn left ACL for the Chicago Bulls during the 2012 NBA Play-Offs, Rose has been dogged by injuries. Since that torn ACL, Derrick Rose has missed 237 out of the last 412 regular season contests.

The persistent injuries have reportedly left him weary and he is now considering quitting the Cavaliers, NBA, and Basketball. One Cavs source told ESPN of Rose: “He’s tired of being hurt and it’s taking a toll on him mentally.”

This season, the guard has sat out 11 of the franchise’s 18 games in the NBA, and has not played in the last seven. He was with the team for Monday’s win over Detroit, but has now reportedly decided to step away.

Permissions Granted

As for the Cleveland Cavaliers, the organization appears to be standing by Rose. The franchise says his absence from the team is permitted and does not mirror a comparable situation from last season. On that occasion, Rose missed a New York Knicks game without permission and was fined, citing a family issue.

In a press release, the Cavaliers pointed out this is not the same as Rose is not currently an active player.

Despite being plagued by injury for four seasons, Rose remains a popular player. Indeed, he can still command a $70 million sneaker deal with Adidas (running for six years) even with those blighted seasons.

If Rose does decide to step away, it is clear the NBA has lost a bright talent to the ravages of injury. Rose is still only 29, but his 2011 league MVP season seems a long way off.