Report: Cavs, Derrick Rose in 'serious talks' on 1-year deal

Desperate times call for desperate measures.

The Cleveland Cavaliers are in serious talks with free-agent guard Derrick Rose on a one-year deal, sources told Brian Windhorst and Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.

Cleveland only has $2.5 million left of the taxpayer mid-level exception, or the veteran's minimum worth $2.1 million to offer Rose, who was expecting another massive contract heading into free agency.

Rose has slipped quite a bit since winning MVP in 2011, but the 28-year-old finally appears to be relatively healthy and he can still contribute. He averaged 18 points and 4.4 assists last season while shooting 47.1 percent from the field for the New York Knicks.

The Cavaliers, however, would need to carefully refine Rose's game to work him into their rotation. Rose tends to dominate the ball, can't consistently make threes, and is a subpar defender. That will all have to change if Rose is to join a roster with three established All-Stars that all love to handle and shoot the rock.

But in terms of upside and talent, nabbing Rose on a discount might be the Cavaliers' best chance of upgrading their roster. Cleveland is not only short on cap room, but is also down four of its six draft picks over next three seasons, which means the front office has to take big swings.

As for Rose, taking a short gamble on the Cavaliers could be his best chance to compete for a ring, while also rehabbing his value around the league. If Matthew Dellavedova could earn a massive deal as the backup for Cleveland, so too can Rose if he became a positive contributor for a winning franchise.