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          Derrick Rose not comfortable recruiting

          Dec 13, 2011
          • Nick FriedellESPN Staff Writer
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              Nick Friedell is the Chicago Bulls beat reporter for ESPN Chicago. Friedell is a graduate of the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University and joined ESPNChicago.com for its launch in April 2009.
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          DEERFIELD, Ill. -- Chicago Bulls point guard Derrick Rose doesn't want to recruit players -- now, or in the future.

          "That's just not me," he told ESPNChicago.com on Tuesday night. "My whole life, I've never been the type of player where I've recruited people like that."

          Rose knows there are a lot of people out there who wish he would pick up the phone to call Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard, who has requested a trade from his team, or other prominent free agents in the future, but the 23 year old says it's not in his nature.

          "I've never been a coach," he continued with a laugh. "I don't know how the conversation would go, actually, if I called him. 'What's up?' or whatever? I don't know how to even approach someone about coming here. It would be super hard."

          Rose is skeptical a personal phone call would make that much of a difference, even one coming from the reigning NBA MVP.

          "I don't think one person can do that," he said. "That's just like if someone called me, asking me to come to their team, I don't think I would come just because they called. I think I would have to know where I'm living at, knowing where I'll eat at every night. Everything comes into play when you talk about moving to another city."

          Rose said he wasn't offended that Howard didn't list the Bulls as a team he would like to be traded to and sign an extension with. Howard, through his agent Dan Fegan, said he only wanted to be dealt to the Los Angeles Lakers, Dallas Mavericks or New Jersey Nets.

          "I'm not worried about that," Rose said. "Everybody has their own place where they want to play, their own agenda. So it was up to him."

          When pressed, Rose admitted that his stance on recruiting would probably never change.

          "I don't think so," he said. "I don't think I'll ever be able to."

          Not surprisingly, Rose said that he hasn't spoken to Howard.

          "No, I haven't talked to him," Rose said. "You know me, I think Chicago speaks for itself marketing-wise. It's a great place. Why wouldn't anyone want to come here? He's probably been getting calls from everyone. Everybody's trying to talk to him, but no, I haven't talked to him."

          Rose is just glad he doesn't have to endure what the New Orleans Hornets' Chris Paul and Howard are currently experiencing.

          "To each their own," he said. "There's nothing I can say about that. I'm happy I'm not going through that right now. I can only imagine what they're going through. Right now, I'm just trying to worry about the Bulls."

          Nick Friedell covers the Bulls for ESPNChicago.com and ESPN 1000.