The Chicago Bulls pulled out all the stops when it came to their recruiting of Carmelo Anthony. The New York Knicks guard spent Tuesday with the team, meeting with team officials and head coach Tom Thibodeau for the better part of the day while stars like Joakim Noah stopped by for a little recruiting pitch. However, the x-factor to the meeting, Derrick Rose, who aimed to show Anthony he was healthy.
Despite what Tibodeau says, Rose's health will be a big factor in Chicago's free agency pursuit. When healthy, he is the best point guard in the league. However, he has not been healthy for some time now, missing the better part of the last three years after winning league MVP. Two knee injuries later, Rose is insisting that he is healthy and intended on proving it to Anthony.
According to Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders, while visiting the United Center, Rose went through a private workout in front of Anthony just to show that he will be competing at a healthy, high level next season. Rose wanted to show that he has regained his strength and explosiveness and can easily help contribute to the Bulls' playoff run next season.
Rose already plans on competing with Team USA in the World Cup this summer. Thibodeau noted that he believes the opportunity will be good for Rose simply to get game-time experience after missing so much time during the NBA season. However, the training does not begin until later this summer and Anthony plans on signing with a team before that. Seeing Rose workout was a crucial piece to the guard's decision making.
If Anthony does not sign with the Bulls, what are their backup plans? Anthony is getting plenty of attention and while he would be an ideal fit for Chicago, there are no guarantees and the team must prepare as such. A Kevin Love trade will likely be the next move for Chicago. The team has already placed an offer consisting of Taj Gibson and Jimmy Butler on the table. Anthony wants Gibson on the roster if he is going to sign, but if the guard heads elsewhere then Gibson could get shopped.
The Bulls are also being linked to free agents like Luol Deng and Lance Stephenson. According to Sam Amick from USA Today Sports, Deng has not ruled out a return to Chicago. The team traded him mid-season to the Cleveland Cavaliers after they failed to agree on a new contract, but Deng would not mind re-joining the team with the right offer. Stephenson is also expecting a pay raise after rejecting the Indiana Pacers five-year contract offer. If the Bulls miss out on Anthony, they might be willing to offer more money to either player.