The Chicago Bulls are gearing up for a big run at Carmelo Anthony or LeBron James in free agency and Luol Deng also could be a free agent target and the team may be looking at a trade with Carlos Boozer to help clear out some cap space, as the Bulls see those players as the missing piece to a championship puzzle.
Anthony and James opted out of their deals, while Deng is a free agent and he could be a target to return after the team traded him this season. Anthony is a prime scorer and that is what the team needs and they are coming in after another year with Derrick Rose injured.
The Bulls were in on the Kevin Love trade rumors, but that has gone away for now and the team is also targeting James and Anthony according to ESPN.com. The report says that a number of teams are looking at Melo and James and hoping to clear cap space to get them both in on the same team. James could potentially leave Miami for that reason, while the Heat also are looking at Melo as an option, but that may cost too much money.
According to ESPN.com, Anthony has opted out of his contract with the Knicks and that the Bulls are the number one option for him. The report says that the team is doing their work on Anthony and that right now Chicago has a lead over New York as his first choice. Anthony has been with the Knicks since the team acquired him a few years ago and the franchise has brought in Phil Jackson and Derek Fisher to help turn things around. The Bulls lost in the first round of the playoffs and the Knicks did not make it last season after opening the year 3-13 and that could be a factor in all of this as well.
ESPN.com worked out a realistic way that the Heat could sign him and it would require all of the Big 3 to opt out and then sign back for less money. Anthony could potentially leave up to $70 million on the table and that could be too much for a player to handle, even if he does want to win titles. Last season Anthony had another solid year with the Knicks and averaged over 25 points, but he missed the playoffs for the first time in his career and that could lead him to leaving New York because he knows the team is a year or two away from winning a title or even competing for one.
The Bulls are going to have to make a move with Carlos Boozer no matter what happens, as he is making over $16 million and the way he played last year does not justify that salary. The team will either trade him or use the amnesty clause on him and that is due to the fact that they need relief to get Melo or to get Love to sign an extension. Love averaged 26.1 points and 12.5 rebounds last season and factored into the MVP voting and now he would like to test the market after not making the playoffs in each of his first six seasons.