Bulls say Rose to have surgery on Friday

CHICAGO -- Derrick Rose will have surgery Friday to repair a medial meniscus tear in his right knee, and a timetable for the Chicago Bulls star's return will be determined after the operation.

The 2011 NBA MVP played in only 10 games last season before having surgery for a similar injury in November 2013, cutting short his long-awaited comeback from a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee.

In the November 2013 surgery, Rose had the cartilage reattached. The Bulls said Thursday that team physician Dr. Brian Cole will perform a meniscectomy, which involves removing the damaged cartilage.

Dr. Alexis Colvin, an orthopedic surgeon specializing in sports medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine at New York's Mount Sinai Hospital, said the recovery is generally about six weeks but could take longer for someone with a previous tear. She hasn't examined Rose.

General manager Gar Forman is scheduled to address the media Friday.

The announcement late Tuesday night that Rose needed yet another knee operation was an all-too-familiar gut punch for the franchise and a fan base. If he doesn't return this season, it would be the third season-ending knee injury and the latest cruel twist in what had been a feel-good story for the Chicago product.

He went from Rookie of the Year to All-Star to MVP in his first three seasons, becoming the youngest player to win that award in 2011 while leading Chicago to 62 wins and the Eastern Conference finals. But things have unraveled ever since he tore the ACL in his left knee in the 2012 playoff opener.

He sat out the following season and had his comeback cut short last year. The Bulls understood there was a chance he would tear the meniscus again, and that's what happened.

Rose, averaging 18.4 points and 5.0 assists, has been inconsistent. But he played in 19 straight games and 30 of 31, easing concerns about his knee, before the announcement Tuesday.

Still stung by the news, the Bulls lost to Charlotte on Wednesday after winning six of seven. They are tied with Cleveland for the Central division lead.