Derrick Rose is, by almost all measures, not the same player he was back in 2011 when he won the NBA MVP award as a member of the Chicago Bulls.

However, he's still a valuable player and will have a lot to offer the Cleveland Cavaliers - the team with which he recently signed a one-year, $2.1 million contract - this season, as long as he can stay healthy.

Knee injuries have derailed Rose's career in recent years, as his 2016-17 season ended following yet another procedure. Still, though, he wants to compete and he wants to do so with a team that has a chance to win a title.

Rose's agent, B.J. Armstrong, recently explained to ESPN.com that Rose decided he wanted to be a part of a winning culture when the 2017-18 season tips off this fall:

"A one-year deal on a bad team to try and put up numbers - we did not want to entertain that way of thinking," agent B.J. Armstrong, a three-time NBA champion with the Chicago Bulls, told ESPN on Tuesday. "Getting up every day to go to the gym to just try and put up numbers - that's not who he is. He didn't want to chase anything this summer other than, 'Hey, let's get around a group of guys who are like-minded, who are pursuing winning and be a part of that.'"

For a guy who isn't too far removed from playing for some outstanding Chicago Bulls teams, it's clear that one year with the dysfunctional Knicks has taken a major toll on him, as he is desperate to play meaningful basketball once again.

By signing with the Cavaliers, Rose enters an interesting situation, as he'll get to play alongside LeBron James - one of the greatest players to ever step foot on an NBA court. However, whether he'll be star point guard Kyrie Irving's backup or the team's starting point guard remains to be seen, as Irving has recently requested a trade.

Irving's request had nothing to do with Rose's signing, but the Cavs have to be feeling good about having Rose on board now, as he would be an ideal candidate to step into the starting role if Irving is indeed traded.

Obviously, Rose is no longer on Irving's level when it comes to talent, so switching him into the starting lineup would hurt the Cavs a bit. However, Rose at least seems happy to be in Cleveland playing alongside LeBron, which can't be said about Irving at the moment.