3 former Cavaliers players the team could bring back in free agency

Free agency starts Friday evening for the NBA and the Cleveland Cavaliers will be looking across the NBA landscape trying to sign a couple of players. The reportedly fully guaranteed forward Cedi Osman’s contract for this next season.

Osman has been a good outside shooter for the Wine and Gold and that will help the team in desperate need of more reliable perimeter shotmakers.

Cleveland has their eye likely set on a few younger players in free agency but they could also be looking to add a veteran or two that already has an established track record. There have been several current free agents that once played for the Cavs in the past.

Would Cleveland look to bring any of these players back? Here are a few names that we might see the team pursue.

Player No. 1: Derrick Rose

Derrick Rose has been an NBA MVP dating back to his time with the Chicago Bulls back in 2011.  He was originally the No. 1 NBA Draft pick back in 2008 coming out of Memphis, and was an immediate success. He is a three-time NBA All-Star after being the NBA Rookie of the Year in the 2008-09 season.

His prior Cleveland stint took place back in the 2017-2018 season after the Cavs had just won the NBA Title two seasons prior. It was a rough experience for Rose who only played in 16 games that season and started seven of those. He averaged close to 10 points while only getting about 19 minutes of playing time.

The following year he made his way to play with the Minnesota Timberwolves and now has most recently played with the New York Knicks. He could return to the Knicks but if Cleveland would still be looking to find a veteran to come off the bench to alleviate some pressure on Darius Garland, he could be an upgrade over Ricky Rubio. Before last season, Rose was still averaging more then 24 minutes a game and scoring about 14 points a game. That’s not bad for a soon to be 35-year-old.

He will likely sign an inexpensive deal with some NBA team and the Cavs could be intrigued by bringing him back to Cleveland. Maybe the second time around would be a better experience for both the player and the team, but injuries are always a concern with Rose.