Jalen Rose maintained a low profile during the Bulls' draft preparations, but he already has made an impact on the team's free-agent plans.

Rose has been good friends with Juwan Howard since the two were Fab Five teammates at Michigan, and Howard will be one of the key free agents this summer. The free-agent signing period begins Tuesday, and a team source said the Bulls will be interested in Howard.

Teams aren't supposed to discuss free agents from other teams, but it's hard to believe Rose would be accused of tampering for talking to a friend about becoming a teammate a week before the process begins.

"I was at his camp, speaking, and me and the kids gave him a big round of applause and told him how much we want to see him as a Bull,'' Rose said. "He's excited about his free agency, and it's a realistic opportunity, depending on what we do in the summer.''

Howard, a Chicago native, recently said he was excited about the possibility of joining the Bulls.