The Bulls stood pat as the trade deadline came and went on Thursday, which frustrated Derrick Rose’s older brother and manager Reggie.
In a story published by ESPN, Reggie vented his frustrations and said that the Bulls inactivity to put talent around his brother could factor into his decision to return this season, but did acknowledge that he was speaking for himself.
"What have you pieced together? Have you made any moves? Have you made any trades to get better? You know all roads to the championship lead through Miami," Rose said in the story. "What pieces have you put together for the physical playoffs?
"Joakim Noah is a great player. Luol Deng is a great player. But you need more than that,” he continued. “You have to put together pieces to your main piece. The players can only do so much. It's up to the organization to make them better."
Reggie also spoke about how frustrating it is to see his younger brother play “his heart and soul out for the team and them not put anything around him.”
The younger Rose has taken the next steps in his rehabilitation from a repaired anterior cruciate ligament in participating in five-on-five scrimmages the last two practices with no setbacks.
With his older brother comments creating more questions in will he play this season and his feelings on the organization, the Bulls issued a statement from Derrick prior to tonight’s tip-off vs. the East-leading Miami Heat.
"I have always felt that the Bulls organization's goals have been the same as mine and that is to bring another championship to this city," Rose said in the statement.
The Bulls are carrying $74 million in payroll for this season, putting them beyond the salary cap and into luxury-tax territory. With that said, their options were limited as far as trades are concerned as they can’t take on anymore salary.
Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau wasn’t concerned about Reggie’s comments, saying that he’s entitled to his own opinion and that the issue wasn’t a big deal.
“To me, it’s not a big deal. We all want the same things,” Thibodeau said. “We want Derrick’s health and to obviously pursue winning a championship. We share that in common. That’s his opinion. He speaks for himself. It’s not a big deal.”
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