If Derrick Rose goes to Chicago this time, the Knicks can't say he didn't warn them.
Before speaking to reporters on Friday, Rose said he needed to be quick, because "I've got to catch a flight this afternoon." After he was done speaking, he reiterated his plans, telling a reporter he couldn't stop because he had to catch his plane. "Chicago," he said, when asked where he was going.
Afterward, a Knicks spokesman said that Rose was only joking. When asked if Rose would be in the lineup against the 76ers on Saturday, Jeff Hornacek expressed confusion before saying that yes, he would be.
Last month, Rose missed a game against the New Orleans Pelicans without telling the team to go deal with a family matter in Chicago (he had been at the shootaround earlier that day). After going AWOL, he didn't respond to the Knicks' calls inquiring about his whereabouts, causing something of a stir when the team was forced to replace him in the lineup at the last minute. He eventually apologized for his absence.
Rose was the subject of swirling trade rumors before the trade deadline Thursday, but reiterated that none of it has been a distraction. He said he hoped he had a long-term future with the Knicks.
"They didn't trade me so I guess that is a good sign," he said. "My job is to come in and try to get better every day and try to work on my game every day. You probably have to ask Steve (Mills) about that."
