Derrick Rose will travel with the Chicago Bulls on their two-game road trip to Orlando and Miami.

But Tom Thibodeau downplayed the possibility of the travel signaling that Rose is closer to returning from his torn ACL.

"You don’t want to rule out anything," Thibodeau said. "But he has to go through regular practice for an extended amount of time before we even think about him playing."

Rose is expected to return in late February or early March.

"Whether it’s after the All-Star break, two weeks after, it’s when he’s ready," Thibodeau said. "We don’t want to put a date on it. When he makes it through practices for an extended amount of time and there’s not any soreness the next day, we’ll make a decision then. He’s got a long way to go."

Thibodeau said Rose won't sit on the bench during the games.

"All along, as he has started to do more, he’s going to be traveling and working on what he needs to work on," Thibodeau said. "Prior to the games, I want him to do his rehab. He’s still focused on that. As he gets closer, he’ll eventually be on the bench. But we’re still a little bit away from that."