Skip navigation
Favorites
Sign up to follow your favorites on all your devices.
Sign up

Report: Cavaliers offering Derrick Rose minimum contract

New York Knicks v Cleveland Cavaliers

CLEVELAND, OH - FEBRUARY 23: Derrick Rose #25 of the New York Knicks looks to shoot while under pressure from Kyrie Irving #2 LeBron James #23 and Iman Shumpert #4 of the Cleveland Cavaliers during the first half at Quicken Loans Arena on February 23, 2017 in Cleveland, Ohio. The Cavaliers defeated the Knicks 119-104. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)

Getty Images

The Cavaliers are reportedly in serious discussion to sign Derrick Rose.

They still have about $2.5 million of the taxpayer mid-level exception left, but don’t expect Rose to get it.

Brian Windhorst and Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN:

The Cavs are believed to be offering Rose a minimum contract

A minimum salary for Rose is $2,116,955. More importantly for the Cavs, they’d have to pay him – and be taxed at – just $1,471,382. (The NBA covers the difference on one-year minimum deals for veterans.) Regardless of whether they sign Rose, they still have to fill out their roster with at least minimum players.

If they pay him more than the minimum, they’d be on the hook for his full salary and be taxed on it.

So, Rose could push for a little more. But Cleveland has much more incentive to set a hard line.