Despite coming off of his best season in five years, Derrick Rose’s salary for the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2017-18 is roughly one-tenth of what he made a year ago for the New York Knicks. But speaking to Michael Lee of The Vertical, Rose made it clear that the money wasn’t a big concern.
“I don’t really care about the money like that, because I think I saved my money,” Rose said, via Lee. “I was looking forward to being happy with playing basketball again. And I’m from Chicago. We’ve got a little hustling side to us. You pay me this now, but I’m going to make you pay double when I get a chance. That’s the mentality that I have.”
Rose is only on a one-year contract. So naturally, if he enjoys big year in the upcoming season, he’ll put himself in position to make more money with his next deal.
Of course, that leads to another question. Just how good of a year can Rose have?
While the 2016-17 season was a productive one for Rose, it still fell well short of what he did in his 2008-12 prime. Rose is also 29 and has a well documented history of injuries.
Still, his belief in himself hasn’t been shaken.
“I know I’m the product. I know how good I am,” Rose added, per Lee. “It’s kind of like betting on yourself. So, I’ll put everything that’s in my account. I’ll put my life on it. Trust me, I know how hard I work. I’m looking forward to it.”
Rose will have his chances. He’ll open the year in the backcourt with Dwyane Wade, joining LeBron James, Kevin Love, and Jae Crowder in Cleveland’s talented starting-five.