NEW YORK -- Derrick Rose has said several times that he hopes to stay in New York beyond this season. He said it again on Thursday, about an hour before the New York Knicks tipped off against the Chicago Bulls.

But his words had a different connotation this time.

Just three days earlier, Rose left New York without alerting the Knicks, disappearing to Chicago to be with family hours before New York's game against New Orleans. Some see this as an inexcusable act, one that should lead to the Knicks severing ties with Rose.

And that's understandable. Most employees don't have the freedom to skip work without explanation.

Rose hopes that he hasn't impacted his chances of signing with the Knicks beyond this season, but he knows that it's a possibility.

"I hope one incident didn't change their minds. Who knows?" he said.

On Thursday, he showed you glimpses of why the Knicks may consider bringing him back in the 104-89 win over the Bulls. Rose was brilliant on offense in the first half against Chicago, with 15 points on 6-of-8 shooting.

The majority of his scoring came on drives to the paint, something a Knicks offense hasn't access to in the past two seasons. Thanks in part to Rose's strong start, the Knicks were able to win for just the second time in the past 11 games.

Chicago was without Jimmy Butler so it would be silly to surmise that the Knicks turned some kind of corner with Thursday's win.

Their next two games are against the Toronto Raptors and Atlanta Hawks -- teams that will serve as much stronger litmus tests to determine whether New York is trending in the right direction.

Regardless of whether the Knicks win or lose those two games, the topic of Rose's future will remain at the forefront in New York.

It may sound counterintuitive given the events of this week, but there are several reasons why keeping Rose long-term may be a tempting proposition for New York. As we saw over the past two summers, top-name free agents aren't exactly clamoring to play for the Knicks. So Rose, who has already expressed a desire to play here, may very well end up being their best option.

Has he defended well? Not particularly. Has he distributed the ball well? Not consistently. Does he get to the free-throw line frequently enough? Not according to the coaches. So Rose certainly isn't the perfect answer for all that ails the Knicks. But given how things have gone in free agency for New York the past two summers, he might be their best choice when July comes.

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Rose, AI meet at MSG: At one point on Thursday, Rose met Allen Iverson on the court. The two shared an embrace that was captured by the Knicks and posted on their social media account.

"That is my first time ever meeting him like that. He is an icon," Rose said. "He is somebody that I looked up to ever since I was younger. He changed the game on and off the court."

Rose said he and Iverson didn't have much of a discussion.

"That's hood love," he said. "... You don't got to say much."