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Another knee surgery for Bulls' Rose

No, you didn't pick up an old copy of the paper.

The Bulls received devastating, but familiar, news Tuesday: Derrick Rose will need another knee surgery.

It's not clear when the injury occurred. The Bulls practiced Tuesday at the Advocate Center. Coach Tom Thibodeau told reporters Rose didn't do much in practice because of soreness.

Later in the day, the team released a three-sentence injury update:

“Derrick Rose reported today with right knee pain. An exam and subsequent MRI confirmed a medial meniscus tear of the right knee. Surgery will be scheduled, after which a timeline for his return will be determined.”

Essentially, this is the same injury Rose experienced last season. He tore medial meniscus cartilage in his right knee, had surgery on Nov. 25 and missed the rest of the season.

Is there a chance Rose won't be out for the year this time? Impossible to tell right now, but the circumstances of the two right-knee injuries seem very different.

Remember last year at Portland, Rose twisted his right knee when making a quick stop. He limped a few steps, went to the ground and immediately left the game in obvious pain.

On Monday against Milwaukee, Rose played 33 minutes, checked out with 1:36 left in the fourth quarter, then spoke to reporters in the locker room as though nothing was wrong.

Generally, there are two scenarios with meniscus tears. Doctors can shave off the misplaced cartilage and the recovery time is relatively short — a few weeks, sometime less.

The other scenario is to repair the cartilage without removing it. This is what happened when Rose had surgery last year. Repairing the cartilage is considered better for long-term knee health and requires a longer recovery period.

If Rose was injured during the 87-71 victory over Milwaukee and continued to play, it seems logical this tear is not as serious as the one suffered last year. So it's possible Rose could return before the end of the season, but the complete diagnosis won't be available until after the surgery.

What's next for the Bulls? Aaron Brooks figures to start at point guard Wednesday against Charlotte, considering Kirk Hinrich missed the last two games with an illness. Hinrich practiced Tuesday and is expected to play against the Hornets.

E'Twaun Moore, who hasn't played much in recent weeks, should get another chance. He has played fairly well when given extended minutes this season.

The NBA trade deadline has passed, so there's no chance of dealing for a point guard. There is a player familiar to Bulls fans who is available as a free agent. Nate Robinson has been without a team since being traded from Denver to Boston and accepting a buyout from the Celtics on Jan. 15.

Robinson spent just one season with the Bulls in 2011-12 but remains very popular in Chicago. He's best known for scoring 34 points in a triple-overtime win over Brooklyn in Game 4 of a first-round playoff series.

Another possibility is Chicago native Will Bynum, a former Detroit Piston who is playing in China. Bynum's team still is alive in the Chinese league playoffs, so he wouldn't be free to join an NBA team until after his postseason run ends.

Shortly after the Bulls announced the news about Rose's injury, NBA players sent regards via Twitter. LeBron James wrote, “Man feel bad for D. Rose! Keep your head up homie and stay strong G!”

Charlotte guard Mo Williams, in town to face the Bulls on Wednesday, wrote, “I feel like I'm hurt, that's how bad I feel for D Rose.”

The Bulls feel terrible after Rose made so much progress this season after sitting out for nearly two years. But they have been through this before.

• Get the latest Bulls news via Twitter@McGrawDHBulls.

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