Not only would a championship add to his legacy, but a successful season alongside LeBron James would likely allow Rose to test the open market as a much more attractive option next summer (if he stays healthy).
Given the pay cut that he took, he will likely be in the hunt for a larger, multi-year deal next offseason. Consider the following:
That’s right. Cameron Payne is slated to have a higher salary than him next season. No one could have predicted that.
According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, Rose communicated with LeBron throughout the process, which is contrary to the presumed notion that James would keep a hands-off approach during the offseason as it pertains to free agency.
After the agreement was announced, King James took to Twitter to welcome his new teammate.
Rose previously met with the Los Angeles Lakers, Los Angeles Clippers and Milwaukee Bucks before making his ultimate decision. Last season, he put up 18.0 points, 3.8 rebounds and 4.4 assists on 47.1 percent shooting over 64 games for the New York Knicks.
Shockingly, now every league MVP from 2009-2016 plays for the two teams that have met in the Finals in each of the past three years.
Now the major question in Cleveland becomes what happens with Irving. While the current situation is pretty messy, as both sides have seemed ready to part ways, it’s hard to ignore the potential that adding Rose to last season’s core might have.
A starting five of Irving, Rose, James, Kevin Love and Tristan Thompson with rotational pieces Kyle Korver, Iman Shumpert, and newcomer Jeff Green off the bench would likely still give the Cavs the most formidable bunch in the weak Eastern Conference.
However, the marriage between Irving and Cleveland seems to be headed in the wrong direction. Since Rose and James are both proven ball-handlers, the possibility of adding a sharpshooter of some sort who can play off the ball now becomes a more obvious fit.
