Derrick Rose's professional debut in Orlando was so uninspiring, much of the talk surrounding the Bulls in the final weeks of July focused on an unsigned player rather than the designated future of the franchise.
After getting thoroughly outplayed by fellow lottery pick Michael Beasley in his first game of the annual summer league, Rose had a nice thing going in Game 2 against the Pacers until a flare-up of tendinitis in his right knee benched him for the final three-plus games of the competition. A precautionary MRI taken after the No. 1 pick in the June draft returned to Chicago confirmed the original diagnosis. The injury was nothing more than an aggravation of a problem that hindered the star point guard only slightly during his one-year collegiate run at Memphis.
Shortly thereafter, the focus was back on the Bulls' restricted free agents -- especially Luol Deng, who left to join England's Olympic team amid speculation he would return to sign a one-year offer with Chicago, assuring he would become an unrestricted free agent next July.
Such a move would give Deng a $4.5 million salary for the 2008-09 season, far less than he would have made had he agreed to the Bulls' proposed $57.5 million, five-year extension. But that's the price he'd have to pay to gain complete freedom next off-season.
Deng, 23, averaged 17.0 points and 6.3 rebounds in 63 games last season.
The Bulls also remained in slow-moving negotiations with Ben Gordon. The guard turned down a $50 million offer from the Bulls last year.
