Not so rosy Tuesday for Rose

Rose.

ONE day after he led the Chicago Bulls past Jeremy Lin and the skidding New York Knicks, Derrick Rose had a lousy Tuesday.

He was fined $25,000 by the NBA for publicly criticizing the referees after Monday night's game. And later in the afternoon, as the 6-foot-3 guard was driving southbound on interstate-90, his beige Bentley was rear-ended at about 4:30 pm.

Rose refused treatment on site and told Illinois state police troopers that his doctor will check him later. But that wasn't the end of Rose's woeful day as the reigning MVP felt some soreness in the groin area that required an MRI.

So there's a good chance Rose might sit out Wednesday night's game against bitter rival Miami at the United Center.

"He's nicked up a little bit," Bulls head coach Tom Thibodeau told the Chicago Tribune. "Hopefully, the rest will do him good."

In other Bulls news, ESPN.com's Marc Stein reports that the Bulls are seeking to acquire Lakers big man Pau Gasol. The Lakers, however, are not so eager with the assets the Bulls are offering, beginning with Carlos Boozer. A third team might be needed as a facilitator to bring Gasol to Chicago.

The subject of trade rumors practically all season long, the 7-foot- 250-pound Gasol is a 10-year veteran with two championship rings. At age 31, he's still getting the job done, averaging a solid 16.6 points, 10.4 rebounds and 3.4 asssts per game this season.

Gasol is also reported to be drawing trade interest from Houston, Minnesota and Golden State.

The 6-foot-9, 266-pound Boozer, meanwhile, has had an up and down season where he is averaging 15.6 points, 8.1 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game. A Duke University alum, Boozer has spent 9 years in the NBA. But unlike Gasol, he doesn't have a ring.

On July 2010, the 30-year old All-Star signed a five-year deal worth between $75 to $80 million. That fat contract and his not-so-stellar defense doesn't make Boozer a very alluring trade bait.