Derrick Rose Went Missing, Here's What We Know So Far [UPDATES]

The New York Knicks were all set to get their season back on track Monday night, with a very winnable game against the New Orleans Pelicans at MSG. Until they lost their starting point guard, that is.

This being the Knicks—basketball's premier soap opera/carnival sideshow—it simply wasn't enough that Derrick Rose failed to show up; nobody even seemed to know where he was. The mystery began to take shape ten minutes before tip-off, when the team suddenly announced that Rose was "not with the team." The internet exploded with conspiracy theories as reporters scrambled to discover Rose's whereabouts.

Hornacek said Knicks expect him back. Says he can't say any more. "We're not going to go into it. Everything will become clear later on."
— Mike Vorkunov (@Mike_Vorkunov) January 10, 2017

Head coach Jeff Hornacek was at a loss to explain exactly what had happened following the team's outing, which saw both Carmelo Anthony and Kyle O'Quinn get ejected. Most of Rose's teammates were in the dark, saying only that the guard had been with the team for a shootaround Monday morning, and that they hoped he was alright. It wasn't until Joakim Noah, Rose's longtime teammate with the Knicks and the Bulls, got in touch with him by phone that anyone had a clue as to Rose's status. The veteran big man stressed that Rose was "OK."

"I don't really want to talk too much about it because I don't really know what the situation is," Noah said. "Obviously Derrick is one of our better players, and when he is not here, it is tough, but I am just happy that everything is OK with him."

So where is Derrick Rose, exactly? Most reports have him back in his hometown of Chicago. He didn't contact the Knicks until after the game, when he spoke to GM Steve Mills by phone. According to the New York Post, Rose's absence "was not a boycott":

"If it was a player issue with the team, it would've been straightforward and evident to everyone involved," a source said. "This was an outside issue—harder to anticipate. That's why this was so unexpected."

Yahoo's Adrian Wojnarowski reported that Rose, who had been benched in the fourth quarter in each of the past two games in favor of undrafted rookie Ron Baker, was growing frustrated with his role on the Knicks. New York's front office, meanwhile, is said to be furious with Rose's disappearing act and considering the possibility of a suspension. No matter what the fallout from this incident, we can pretty much be assured that it will be public, messy, and embarrassing. These are the Knicks, after all.

The Knicks lost to the Pelicans 110-96.

Update: The Knicks tweeted a picture from practice that appears to show Rose on the court in his 25 jersey. It would appear he's no longer missing. So that's something.

Practice pic.twitter.com/IAtoGBc2jR
— NY_KnicksPR (@NY_KnicksPR) January 10, 2017

Derrick Rose has rejoined the team and has been fined. He is expected to be in uniform tomorrow in Philadelphia.
— NY_KnicksPR (@NY_KnicksPR) January 10, 2017

He was expected to be in uniform on monday too, so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Update 2: Rose spoke with assembled media and simply said he had to go back Chicago to be with his mother and that it was "the first time I ever felt like that emotionally and I had to be with my family." He also said it had nothing to do with basketball or the team and that he apologized for not telling them before leaving, but that "things happen."

Derrick Rose: "I had to be with my family." pic.twitter.com/Jj5iBi46qQ
— Daniel Popper (@danielrpopper) January 10, 2017