The Chicago Bulls ended their season in disappointing fashion and realized that key offseason moves will have to happen in order to make sure another first-round exit does not happen. The team is ready to make some big free agent moves and players are doing their best to try and get their friends to sign on. After reportedly speaking on the subject during the All-Star break, Joakim Noah is back recruiting Carmelo Anthony.
Fresh off his Defensive Player of the Year honors, Noah is ready to help revamp the Bulls roster after back-to-back disappointing seasons. Noah first approached Anthony during the All-Star break in new Orleans and briefly mentioned the idea of creating a Big 3 in Chicago with Derrick Rose and himself. However, discussions did not stop there. According to the Chicago Sun-Times, Noah and Anthony have been in constant conversation throughout the season about a possible team up.
If the series against the Washington Wizards proved anything, it is that the Bulls are nothing without a consistent offense. Yes, the team continues to be a force on defense each season, but without Rose and other scorers, they simply cannot advance. Chicago can only ride aggressive defensive play for so long. Without Rose manning the offense, the team simply could not put up the points. Now Rose is expected to be healthy come the 2014 season, but adding the shooting percentage of Anthony would more than help the effort.
Several teams are pursuing Anthony, but the Bulls could be the best option. They have stability in the coaching position. Noah is an unselfish as they come which would free up Anthony to take the high amount of shots that he likes. Plus, when healthy, Rose is one of the best point guards in the league. A lineup featuring Rose, Noah and Taj Gibson might be too good for Anthony to pass up whether Phil Jackson likes it or not.
The Bulls will have to get creative with roster moves in order to sign Anthony, but the guard might be will to take a smaller salary if it means winning. He watched LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh do that in Miami and the result was two championships. Anthony is 29 and if he is going to win it must be now. Staying in New York or heading to Los Angeles might not give him that chance. Even Houston might not workout given he and James Harden both want to be the one taking the buzzer beater shot at the end of the game. Anthony will have plenty of teams pursuing him, but some support from other players might be what makes the difference.