Chicago Bulls star Derrick Rose has stated that he denies the sexual assault allegations that he is being accused of and it comes a day after a TMZ report came out about a lawsuit filed by an ex-girlfriend of Rose's that alleges Rose and a group of his associates drugged and raped her in California. Rose spoke to USA Today about the issues and said that his is "confident" that he "will be proven innocent."
Rose was quoted by USA Today saying: "I am just focusing on staying healthy and getting ready for the season," Rose said in the statement. "I am not going to comment other than to say - I know the truth, and am confident I will be proven innocent."
The Bulls obviously will have to wait and see how things play out with Rose and his lawsuit, but the team also has an important season to prepare for. The Bulls have brought in Fred Hoiberg to take over as head coach for Tom Thibodeau and he will be looking to establish a new identity for the team. The Bulls lost to the Cavaliers in the playoffs and now they come back looking to make a run in the east against LeBron James and some of the other up and coming teams in the conference.
The Bulls brought back Jimmy Butler as expected and he now is on a max contract and is the long term center of the team. Rose will always have a leadership role, but after his injuries, Butler now is the foundational player and the chemistry between the two will have to improve. Reports from earlier in the offseason had some tension between Rose and Butler, but Butler later came out and downplayed any issues between the two players.
According to ESPN.com, Butler said in an interview that he expects the chemistry between Rose and himself to get "better" and that the two will have time, as they are "not going anywhere." Butler is coming off of his best season after averaging 20 points per game and 5.8 rebounds and he will be looking to push forward even more this season.
Taj Gibson could be a potential trade option for the Bulls this season, as he likely will have a smaller role than last year. The Bulls have Gibson coming off of ankle surgery and the team just drafted Bobby Ports. Pau Gasol and Nikola Mirotic played well last season and they are the primary players at power forward. Gibson's role could diminish if he misses a large chunk of time with ankle surgery and the Chicago Tribune reports that Gibson could be on the trade block this year.
