PHILADELPHIA — Derrick Rose is content with his role as a mentor.
After the Knicks held onto the former MVP past the trade deadline this past Thursday, Rose said he hasn’t even thought about looking to go elsewhere on a buyout.
“It’s still the same thing. I’m still locked in with the team, talking to the guys, mentoring,” he said after the Knicks’ 119-108 loss to the 76ers at Wells Fargo Center
Asked if he’s happy with his role, Rose jokingly wondered if he had looked upset on the bench.
“If I was mad or something, I wouldn’t be able to hide it,” he said.
Starting on Dec. 4, when coach Tom Thibodeau cut his rotation down to nine and replaced Rose with second-year guard Miles McBride, the former MVP has only appeared in five games. One of those instances came in Chicago as a homecoming cameo and the other four times were when the Knicks were shorthanded due to injury. Thibodeau has repeatedly said he believes Rose, who he has coached with three different teams, has value teaching the Knicks’ young guards.
Derrick Rose NBAE via Getty Images“I like to have him around me because he has a very positive impact on our group,” Thibodeau said.
Rose has a club option worth $15.6 million for next year.
