The Chicago Bulls are planning on going after free agents this summer and Carmelo Anthony is at the top of the list along with targets like LeBron James, Luol Deng and Lance Stephenson and those could be some options on the market, but to get a deal done for a player like Melo, a trade with Carlos Boozer or an amnesty move on his contract is necessary by the Bulls.
Anthony is heading towards free agency this summer and while it's not a guarantee that he will opt out of his contract with the Knicks, everyone is treating it like a foregone conclusion. The Knicks feel that they have the best chance to sign him since they can give him the most money and the longest contract, but according to ESPN.com, Anthony will weigh his options this summer and the Chicago Bulls and Houston Rockets are both expected to make strong pushes to sign him no matter what the Knicks do. Phil Jackson has spoken about how he wants to keep Anthony and the two have met already this offseason and that could lead to a deal getting done.
For the Bulls or the Rockets to sign Anthony, the teams will need to make trades to create space for him, as both are right there at the cap. Even if Anthony took less than a max contract to play in Chicago or Houston, the teams still have to make moves and multiples moves at that to get him in at a decent rate. Anthony knows that this could be his last shot and only shot at being on the market when his talent level is this high and that is why he will make this contract count. The Knicks may have to make some moves on their own and trades involving Tyson Chandler, Iman Shumpert or Raymond Felton could be in the cards.
Last season Carlos Boozer had his worst year in Chicago and he made over $15 million and still has a high salary and that is one reason why he is likely gone after this season. Boozer made $15,300,000 last season and now that he is 32 years old he is clearly in decline and his stats last season showed it, as he averaged just 13 points and eight rebounds and now he could be an amnesty candidate. The team still likely would have to make other moves, likely Taj Gibson, but Boozer will definitely have to get wiped from the books to get Anthony.
Last season the Bulls were eliminated by the Wizards in the playoffs after dealing with another year with a Derrick Rose injury and it was very evident that the team needs scoring. Anthony would give the team a dramatic upgrade in that area and he would be bringing over his 27 points per game from NY. The Bulls ranked first in defense last season and 30th in points scored and that has been a major issue for the team and is why they are going after Anthony. The Knicks are going to keep pushing to sign him and the Bulls and Rockets are real threats to make their deals happen.
