Chicago Bulls owner Jerry Reinsdorf, who will be inducted into the Hall of Fame later tonight, explained the rationale behind letting go of former-MVP Derrick Rose and former-Defensive Player of the Year Joakim Noah. From K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune:
“It’s disappointing because I had high hopes for the last group. I thought they could contend for titles, maybe win one or more but certainly contend,” Reinsdorf said. “All those injuries to Derrick, it just didn’t work out. But it’s not easy to win championships. Doug Collins always used to say, ‘It’s not solitaire. People are trying to beat you.'”
Reinsdorf, who enjoyed a close relationship with Noah, said the Bulls will miss his on-court leadership and community service but expressed happiness he got paid the $72 million Knicks President Phil Jackson gave him. He admitted the Bulls didn’t know if Rose’s trade would be “the first step of a rebuild” or whether executives John Paxson and Gar Forman would engineer other moves to remain competitive.
“What we felt was it was time,” Reinsdorf said of Rose’s trade. “We felt Joakim wasn’t going to be a frontline guy anymore. I was pretty confident that Pau (Gasol) was going to leave. So it was important for us to get the center in (Robin) Lopez. It was time for Derrick to go on and play someplace else and try to establish himself. Gar and Pax were high on the Grant kid (Jerian). We thought that was the necessary first step no matter how we were going to go.”
Reinsdorf expressed his excitement and confidence in his team for the 2016-17 season:
“I thought sure he’d go back to Miami,” Reinsdorf said of Wade. “But it’s great. It’s a tremendous addition, not only as a player but to our culture. Right off the bat, he wanted to know what he could do in the community. He has his own plans. So does Rajon. These guys are going to be a real plus.
…
“We’re going to be competitive. I’m not predicting anything. But remember, as bad as we were last year, we beat Cleveland three out of four and Toronto four out of four.”
Reinsdorf said he’s confident Wade, Rondo and Jimmy Butler will find chemistry on and off the court.
“Those three guys are all high character guys and they all want it to work out,” he said. “They’ll get along with (coach Fred Hoiberg) and each other. Each guy knows what the other two guys are like. And they want to be there.”
