MIAMI – Derrick Rose doesn’t know if his summer vacation will be starting next week or next month, but either way he’s calling it the “biggest offseason’’ of his career.
Not only because of the fact that he will enter it healthy, as well as having plans to work out with teammates like Jimmy Butler, but it’s the offseason leading into the final year of his contract.
A summer that’s been circled for quite some time on the Rose calendar.
Even back on the first day of training camp, unprompted Rose brought up the fact of all the money that was currently being passed around the league and was going to be passed around with a new television contract kicking up payroll.
“Making sure my family is financially stable, as far as seeing all the money that they’re passing out in this league,’’ Rose said back in late September. “Just telling the truth. Just knowing that my day will be coming up soon, and it’s not for me. It’s for [son] P.J. and his future, so that’s what I’m thinking about now.’’
Months later, it’s still what Rose is thinking about.
“Of course it’s the biggest, the biggest offseason,’’ Rose said Thursday. “But there’s no pressure or anything. Hard work takes care of that. Like I said, there’s nothing wrong with being over-prepared [for free agency] and I’m prepared right now, so this offseason is going to make me even more prepared.’’
Rose said the key to how he wants to handle this offseason was to stay calm and keep busy with his son.
“Just putting in work, man,’’ Rose said. “I mean this is a big summer coming up for me, as far as working out, staying at peace with myself, keeping calm, being with my son.
“Depending on how the season ends I may have more time. If anything I’ll be able to be around him more, so as far as working out with players, that’s cool, but my main concern is my son right now if the season was to end.’’
Rose did reiterate that he and Butler do have plans to hook up and work out together, as Butler and coach Fred Hoiberg revealed on Wednesday.
All the Bulls care about is they get a motivated Rose in camp come next September, whether it’s motivated by playing for a max contract or not.
“He showed flashes definitely of playing [at an elite level], especially after the All-Star break, and then had a couple more setbacks,’’ Hoiberg said of Rose’s 2015-16 season. “I think the big thing for Derrick this summer is to get himself to a point to go out there and put a full season under his belt, and I’m confident he can do that. It’s going to be important for not only Derrick, but for all of our guys to get their bodies right.’’
NOTE: Taj Gibson (rib fracture) and E’Twaun Moore (left hamstring) missed the game with the Heat, and were still day-to-day. Gibson, however, was improving slowly, as his regular season was in jeopardy.
