Tyronn Lue recruited Derrick Rose to the Cleveland Cavaliers

Former MVP Derrick Rose was recruited by Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Tyronn Lue.

If you ever wondered who recruited Derrick Rose, perhaps one of the most polarizing players in the NBA, to the Cleveland Cavaliers, look no further than the man who dons those Lake Erie blue suits on the sidelines during the Cavaliers’ games. According to cleveland.com’s Joe Vardon, who penned a piece detailing how general manager Koby Altman sought to transform his dispirited and dysfunctional team, Cavs head coach Tyronn Lue was the person who recruited Rose.

"Altman moved off two players sought by him and Gilbert: Isaiah Thomas and Jae Crowder. He traded the point guard Lue recruited (Derrick Rose) and the future Hall of Famer James brought to town — James’ best friend, Dwyane Wade."

At the time of Rose’s signing, ESPN’s Dave McMenamin appeared on The Jump, saying that he heard James was invested in Rose’s career because he wanted to help him get a more lucrative contract in the 2018 offseason.

Quote transcribed by Bleacher Report’s Scott Pollack:

"“I’ve also heard that LeBron is invested in Derrick Rose’s career so he can get that next contract.”"

This news, coupled with James’ comments about Rose prior to the season, originally made it seem like James had recruited Rose to the team (he helped recruit forward Jeff Green, after all).

Quote transcribed by NBA.com’s Steve Aschburner:

"“I’m excited more than anybody about D-Rose,” James said. “The kid has a lot to prove. From competing against him for so many years, especially in Miami when he was with Chicago, knowing the competitor he’s been over the years. I’ve been a fan of him for a long time. Never thought in my wildest dreams that I’d be a teammate of his. “I thought he had a helluva season last year. And people don’t really see it because of the chaos that was going on in New York. I’m excited to have him here because I want people to know that D-Rose can still play the game at a high level.”"

To be fair, while the Rose signing didn’t work out and he was traded to the Utah Jazz (along with Jae Crowder), the hatred of Rose borders on mind-boggling.

Perhaps it’s a byproduct of a civil suit that tainted his image. Perhaps it’s an effect of Rose’s strongest supporters vehemently defending him against all criticism. It could even be that Rose’s physical decline, coupled with a skillset devoid of three-point prowess, has made the former MVP look like a shell of himself in an ever-evolving NBA.

However, Rose has consistently performed better than given credit for, as James alluded to. He averaged 18.0 points and 4.4 assists per game last season while shooting 47.2 percent from the field in an unfamiliar, unfitting and archaic triangle offense that the New York Knicks abandoned this season. Defensively, Rose would have trouble keeping up with quick and shifty point guards, which should be expected from a player whose had multiple ACL tears. However, Rose was still masterful at getting to the rim and finishing on offense.

The same was true this season, showed flashes of being a solid contributor on any team when he was finishing around the rim and moving the ball. When he was hitting jumpers, he was actually dangerous.

At the start of the season, he strung together a couple of performances against the Indiana Pacers and Washington Wizards that saw him average 19.5 points per game while shooting 59.6 percent from the field and 50.0 percent from three-point range.

He looked great in preseason action as well, drawing rave reviews from teammates as he averaged 11.0 points and 3.5 assists in 16.2 minutes per game while shooting 62.5 percent from the field and 60.0 percent from three-point range.it was a process that started after the team’s offseason workout in California.

In the end, an early season injury derailed his Cavs tenure. He was knocked out of rhythm and the rotation but more importantly, he lost time and trust during his injury rehab. Upon returning to the team, Rose was an odd fit for a team that thrived with a floor general and knockdown shooter starting at point guard. He was also an odd fit for a second unit thriving with Dwyane Wade leading the bench.

Nonetheless, Lue seemed inclined to play Rose, citing his pace and talent. It was indeed questionable. However, if Lue recruited Rose, his stubbornness makes all the more sense.

Rose, who is currently a free agent, averaged 9.8 points and 1.6 assists per game while shooting 43.9 percent from the field and 25.0 percent from three-point range.

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*Unless otherwise referenced, all stats gathered by www.basketball-reference.com