Report: Timberwolves interested in re-signing Rose, could trade Jones
The Minnesota Timberwolves are interested in re-signing point guard Derrick Rose, according to Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic.
Krawczynski noted that the interest would be mutual, as Rose is apparently eager to remain with his longtime head coach, Tom Thibodeau.
Minnesota added Rose as a free agent in March after the former MVP was traded by the Cleveland Cavaliers and then waived by the Utah Jazz in February. Rose had struggled mightily in his previous stops, but he was decent in the playoffs for Minnesota as he averaged 14.2 points per game on 50.9 percent shooting while coming off the bench against the Houston Rockets.
The Timberwolves already have $110 million in guaranteed salary for next season, and that's before re-signing Nemanja Bjelica. That means Rose will presumably need to take a discount if he wants to prolong his time in Minnesota.
One potential solution would be to flip point guard Tyus Jones, who was usurped by Rose as the backup to Jeff Teague. Jones was a darling by advanced metrics, but Thibodeau preferred the experienced veteran, and it shouldn't come as a surprise if Jones is traded, according to Krawczynski.