Amidst the turbulence the Cleveland Cavaliers have been in regarding their point guard situation recently, one of the biggest moves they made this offseason was naming Koby Altman their General Manager and he has plenty to think about when it comes to their most recent addition. A lot has been said about whether free agent acquisition Derrick Rose will play a starting role for the Cavs or come off the bench, a question that remained unanswered until today.
Of course, whether Rose is a starter goes hand-in-hand with the Kyrie Irving trade situation, as the Duke product seems as good as gone after reports of him asking for a trade surfaced.
While Rose has started every year since he was drafted, his drop off in production has been well-documented and many believe he is bound to primarily be a backup for the remainder of his career. When addressing the Rose situation, Altman said he expects him to provide an excellent bench presence for the Cavs:
During the same press conference, Altman also said Rose chose to come to Cleveland for one reason and one reason only and that is to play in and win meaningful games. Following from NBATV on Twitter:
“He came here for the opportunity to win.”
Cavs GM Koby Altman on Derrick Rose joining Cavs pic.twitter.com/4XVPbgh7sW
— NBA TV (@NBATV) July 26, 2017
Whether the Cavs are assuming their starting point guard spot to be held down by Irving next season is unknown, but at this point, it seems that a trade involving him is imminent.
Altman’s comments could signify one of two things. Either they don’t expect Irving to be going anywhere anytime soon or they expect to get a starting point guard in any return package for their explosive star.
Whether Irving is traded away or not, look for Derrick Rose to be the primary playmaker off the Cavs bench next season.
