The Chicago Bulls have released Carlos Boozer with the amnesty cluse as expected heading into the back stretch of the summer and after signing Pau Gasol, the team can give themselves some flexibility of Boozer is traded, as he is making a ton of money and adding some other free agents could be key for Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah as they try and make a championship run this year.
The Bulls made a splash with the signing of Gasol and while that wasn't the deal they were hoping for in free agency after going for Carmelo Anthony, it is a strong move for a team with playoff hopes. According to ESPN.com, the Bulls have been looking at trade scenarios and the possibility of using the amnesty clause on Carlos Boozer, as the team has until Wednesday to decide on using that provision to get his salary off the roster. Last season Boozer was not a four quarter player and he made over $15 million and that is simply too much for a player his age.
The Bulls have made a number of moves this offseason to get better and while they missed on Anthony, they traded for Doug McDermott on draft night and that could end up being a very valuable asset moving forward. McDermott is young and will be inexperienced coming in, but he was a great shooter in college and if that can translate into the NBA, he could be a massive weapon for the team. Last season the Bulls were one of the worst teams shooting from long range and now McDermott can come in and help with that.
The Bulls are thrilled to have Gasol in the fold, as he brings a championship caliber forward to the lineup and at 34 years old, he still can produce on both ends of the floor. Everyone knows it's not like the heydays of Laker championships, but adding Gasol gives the team a scoring threat and a strong rebounder on the defensive end. Last season his numbers were down, but Gasol still managed to average 17 points and nine rebounds for a bad Lakers team and now he is on an excellent Bulls squad.
The Bulls also are getting an unknown quantity in Nikola Mirotic, as he is coming over from Europe after three years and this could be like signing a player on the free agent market. The team gets their man in Mirotic without having to spend big and this comes after the Bulls dealt for him back in 2011 and now he adds another element to the mix with Pau Gasol, Joakim Noah and Derrick Rose. Mirotic signed for about $17 million over three years according to Yahoo Sports and that is a solid deal for the team and as they try and move Boozer, they should get more relief.
The key to all of this is likely Derrick Rose staying healthy and if the Bulls can get that, it should be a fight between the Pacers and Cavaliers in the Central division. The Pacers won it last year and now the Cavaliers will be one of the favorites after getting back LeBron James.