Rose making progress, Bulls thinking big?

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Take this with a grain of salt if you will, but Derrick Rose is embracing the challenge of returning to full strength from his devastating knee injury. Yes, the medical prognosis for his return is eight months to a full year, but every athlete is different and those who have doubted the Chicago native's determination to beat the odds before--as in almost everyone who heard his famous "Why can't I be MVP?" Bulls media day declaration prior to last season--have been pleasantly proven wrong in the past.

Rose is already walking with a soft brace on his injured knee and only one crutch, according to a source who has witnessed the Bulls superstar's initial stages of.recovery at the Berto Center. Another source, who spoke to Rose recently, told CSNChicago.com that the All-Star point guard's "spirits are up," a consistent description of his mental state since surgery to repair his torn left ACL last month.

If the point guard does play next season--a reasonable estimation for an early return would be after the All-Star break--something Reggie Rose, the 23-year-old's older brother, pledged immediately after the surgery and echoed by backcourt partner Rip Hamilton on Thursday, he will likely join a roster consisting of several new faces.

In addition to finding temporary replacements for Rose and potentially fellow All-Star Luol Deng, at least for the beginning of the regular season if the small forward opts for wrist surgery following the upcoming Olympics in his adopted hometown of London, as expected, the Bulls will also probably have to fill the spots of "Bench Mob" stalwarts Kyle Korver, Ronnie Brewer and C.J. Watson, among others.

Brewer is the least likely to return, as rookie swingman Jimmy Butler is poised to fill his role, while Korver, despite his long-range shooting being such a needed asset on a team mostly lacking that quality, may have too high of a price tag for a team trying to avoid the league's luxury tax.

Although it's a possibility that Watson returns due to both financial reasons and the fact that the Bulls might not find a better player to fill in for Rose at a similar salary, there is a chance that organization looks to upgrade the position during their superstar's absence.

While the front office may seek out minimum-salary veterans at several positions, including point guard, a source tells CSNChicago.com that the Bulls will take a run at future Hall of Famers Steve Nash and Jason Kidd in free agency, trying to convince the former All-Stars that they will have an opportunity to win a championship, of which Kidd has one, from last season with the Mavericks, and Nash has none, in Chicago.

According to the same source, the rest of the team's "core"--starters Rose, Deng, Hamilton, center Joakim Noah and power forward Carlos Boozer, as well as reserve big men Taj Gibson and Omer Asik, the latter of whom is a restricted free agent this summer, though the Bulls are likely to match any offers for him from opposing teams--is "safe," though team management will surely at least listen to trade offers.

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