The Chicago Bulls' confidence that they are going to sign Carmelo Anthony appears to be dipping a little. As the New York Knicks and Los Angeles Lakers put on the hard sell for the guard, the Bulls are starting to look at what they backup plan will consist of is they end up losing out on Anthony. They could push another free agent or make a trade before next season.
According to the Chicago Sun Times, the Bulls are very confident that if they miss out on Anthony, they will land Pau Gasol instead. The center has made a visit to Chicago during his free agency tour after the Bulls saw Anthony. Joakim Noah came out for the meeting in hopes of luring Gasol to the Windy City and now Chicago feels confident they are the frontrunners for him.
However, there is a catch when it comes to Gasol. The Sun Times continues saying that Gasol will wait to make his decision after Anthony decides where to sign. If Anthony goes to either the Los Angeles Lakers or New York Knicks, Gasol will heavily consider following him. Both teams have made a sell to Gasol, the Lakers using Kobe Bryant and the Knicks using Phil Jackson, so they have always been an option for him. However, they will immediately jump to the front of the line if Anthony goes to either team as well, leaving Chicago completely shorthanded.
Another option for the Bulls is Luol Deng. The relationship between Chicago and the small forward is somewhere strained. The two attempted to agree on a contract extension last offseason, but Deng was requesting more money than Chicago was willing to give. They then opted to trade the forward to the Cleveland Cavaliers where he publically stated how unhappy he was with the move. Now, Deng comes back into the picture if the Bulls are out of options. It remains to be seen whether they would be able to agree on a deal the second time around.
The darkhorse move for Chicago is a trade for Kevin Love. Prior to the NBA Draft, the Bulls were pushing hard to acquire the forward. They offered up Taj Gibson, Jimmy Butler and a first-round draft pick for Love, but Minnesota decided against making a move. Chicago could still place that offer on the table if they miss out on others. Anthony wants to play with Gibson so if the guard signs to Chicago, that trade could be dead.