In the five or six hours that Derrick Rose failed to communicate with the New York Knicks on Monday night, he created a void.

No one within the organization knew where their starting point guard was, and they were looking for information. So members of the organization reached out to those familiar with Rose in an effort to locate him.

Most of those efforts proved fruitless. But in those conversations, some in the organization were led to believe he was considering an extended absence from the court -- possibly retirement, sources said, confirming a New York Daily News report.

Other reports indicated he was away from the team because he missed his family or because of a rift in his relationship with head coach Jeff Hornacek.

Rose shot down many of those theories during an interview with reporters at the Knicks’ practice facility Tuesday.

"It had nothing to do with the team or basketball," Rose said. "That's the first time I ever felt like that emotionally, and I had to be with my family."

Now that Rose is back, it's unclear what his future is with the club.

Before this incident, Rose made it clear he’d welcome a long-term deal with New York. The Knicks were said to be keeping an open mind about a long-term relationship with Rose, but the trust that has eroded between the point guard and the organization will surely factor into any decision the club makes.

Members of the organization used the word "embarrassment" to describe how the Rose ordeal played out Monday night.

And then there is the potential price tag. Some close to Rose have told friends he will seek a max contract this summer. For Rose, that pact would be for five years and nearly $150 million.

The Knicks would need to use nearly all of their cap space to ink Rose to a max contract.

Of course, there will be several free-agent point guards in the market, some of whom might prove to be better options than Rose. It’s worth noting that Phil Jackson has previously expressed interest in free-agent-to-be Jrue Holiday.

Of course, Jackson’s team has more urgent issues to address at the moment than Rose's free agency.

New York is in another free-fall right now, having lost eight of nine games. Among the many issues that have surfaced during the losing streak? The defensive game plan.

Some veterans have begun to privately express frustration over the club's defensive schemes, per sources. The defense is led by associate head coach Kurt Rambis and entered play Tuesday ranked 27th in defensive efficiency.

Surely, the coaches designing those defensive schemes would say the disgruntled veterans could give better effort on that end of the floor. And so it goes.

The bottom line here is that there are 46 games remaining for New York to figure things out on defense and make a playoff run. The outlook appears to be bleak.

The Knicks' current 1-8 stretch has lowered their odds of making the playoffs to 10 percent, per ESPN's BPI. The predictive tool sees the Knicks finishing the season at 36-46.

If that happens, it's a safe bet that any speculation about Rose's future with the Knicks will be moot. If New York fails to make the playoffs, Rose probably will find himself in the same position he was Monday night -- headed out of New York. But there won't be a return flight.