BULLS SEND ROSE TO NEW YORK IN FIVE-PLAYER DEAL
The Bulls announced today that the team has acquired center Robin Lopez, guard Jose Calderon, and guard Jerian Grant from the New York Knicks in exchange for guard Derrick Rose, guard Justin Holiday and Chicago’s second-round selection in the 2017 NBA Draft. Rose (6-3, 200) was a first-overall selection by the Bulls in the 2008 NBA Draft. During his time in Chicago, he earned many accolades, including being named an NBA All Star three times in 2010, 2011 and 2012, and the league MVP in 2010-11 – a season in which he was also voted First Team All-NBA. Rose was the 2008-09 Rookie of the Year and was named to the 2008-09 All-Rookie First Team. He was also a McDonald’s All-American in 2007. “Knowing Derrick as I do makes this trade a hard one. Everyone knows him as the local kid who became MVP for his hometown team, but not everyone got to know him like I did. While he is a terrific basketball player, he is an even better person with a tremendous heart,” said Chicago Bulls Chairman Jerry Reinsdorf. “I wish him the best of health for the remainder of his career, and I want to personally thank him for everything that he did on the court and in the community during his time with the Chicago Bulls.” In 2015-16, Rose played in 66 games (66 starts) – his most since appearing in 81 games (81 starts) in his MVP year five seasons ago. Rose posted 16.4 ppg (third on the team), 3.4 rpg and 4.7 apg (second on the team) in 31.8 mpg (tied for second on the team) last season while shooting .427 from the field. He led the team in scoring 17 times, in rebounding once, and in assists 27 times. Rose averaged 19.7 ppg, 3.7 rpg and 6.2 apg in 35.0 mpg during his 406 total regular season games in a Bulls uniform (405 starts). He participated in five postseasons and posted 23.7 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 7.1 apg and 40.6 mpg through 41 playoff games (41 starts). Rose finished his career in Chicago ranked 10th on the Bulls’ all-time career leaders list for points (8,001), seventh in scoring average (19.7), ninth in 3-point field goals made (350), fifth in assists (2,516) and third in assists per game (6.2). “We will always be grateful to Derrick. He was a great teammate who put winning first, and nobody fought harder through injuries and disappointment. He wowed us all when he was on the floor and at his best. His MVP season was one for the ages. We wish Derrick nothing but the best moving forward,” said Chicago Bulls General Manager Gar Forman. Holiday (6-6, 185) came to the Bulls last season in a trade with the Atlanta Hawks. Prior to 2015-16, he had also played for Philadelphia (2012-13) and Golden State (2014-15). He did not play in the NBA in 2013-14. Holiday made appearances in 53 games (5 starts) last season for the Bulls and Hawks, posting 4.5 ppg, 1.7 rpg and 1.1 apg in 14.6 mpg. His career stats include 121 games played (9 starts) with averages of 4.4 ppg, 1.5 rpg and 1.0 apg. He has made the playoffs once in his career, with Golden State’s championship-winning squad in 2014-15. Holiday contributed 9.8 ppg, 3.3 rpg and 3.3 apg in 11.0 mpg through five of those postseason games (0 starts). “As we said at the end of last season, we are committed to exploring every option to improve this team,” said Forman. “This trade is a significant step in that process. Our goal is to get younger and more athletic, and this trade moves us in that direction and allows us to start changing the structure of our team. In Robin Lopez, we are acquiring a starting center who is a good defender, good rebounder, and brings a toughness to our team. Jose Calderon is a proven veteran who can run an offense and knock down threes. Jerian Grant was high on our draft board last year as someone with a great skill set and positional size. All three players are great teammates and have tremendous work ethic, and we are excited to welcome them to the Chicago Bulls organization.” Lopez (7-0, 255) is an eight-year veteran of the NBA who has played for Phoenix (2008-12), New Orleans (2012-13), Portland (2013-15) and the Knicks (2015-16). Last season with New York, he started all 82 games and posted 10.3 ppg, 7.3 rpg, 1.57 bpg and 1.4 apg in 27.1 mpg. He shot .539 from the field (ninth in the NBA) and .795 from the line. He also ranked second in the league in offensive rebounds (268) and ninth in blocks (129). Lopez owns career averages of 8.5 ppg, 5.4 rpg and 1.2 bpg. He has been in the playoffs three times – once with Phoenix (2010) and twice with Portland (2014, 2015) – and posted 8.3 ppg, 6.7 rpg and 1.2 bpg in 26.7 mpg through 22 games (22 starts). Calderon (6-3, 200) has played in the NBA for 11 years with stops at Toronto (2005-part of 2013), Detroit (part of 2012-13), Dallas (2013-14) and New York (2014-16). Through 72 games last season (72 starts), he posted 7.6 ppg, 3.2 rpg and 4.2 apg in 28.1 mpg. The native Spaniard shot .459 from the field and .414 from beyond the arc (tied for ninth in the league). Over his career, Calderon has averaged 9.9 ppg, 2.6 rpg and 6.5 apg. He has made appearances in 18 postseason games (8 starts) with Toronto (2007, 2008) and Dallas (2014), and posted 11.6 ppg, 2.1 rpg and 5.4 apg in 25.4 mpg through those contests. Grant (6-4, 198) was selected 19th overall in the 2015 NBA Draft, with the pick originally owned by the Washington Wizards and subsequently traded to New York via Atlanta. In his rookie year, Grant played in 76 games (6 starts) and posted 5.6 ppg, 1.9 rpg and 2.3 apg (eighth among rookies) in 16.6 mpg. His .780 field goal percentage ranked sixth among rookies. Grant is the nephew of Horace Grant, son of Harvey Grant and brother of Jerami Grant, who all played in the NBA. In his final year at Notre Dame in 2014-15, Grant earned NCAA First Team All-America honors from The Associated Press.