Carlos Boozer has been on the edge with the Chicago Bulls since mid-way through the 2013-14 season. The power forward has faced trade rumors for the past few months simply because he has a contract that no longer matches his level of play. As the Bulls chase some of the biggest free agents, they must rid themselves of high-paying contracts and that all starts with Boozer.
Carmelo Anthony's visit with the Bulls during his free agency tour was reportedly extremely positive. Joakim Noah and Taj Gibson were present for the meeting. Derrick Rose gave him a private workout to prove he is healthy. Things are looking up for Chicago's chances to sign the New York Knicks guard. However, one player was not present during Anthony's stay in the Windy City, Boozer, mainly because he will not be on the court if the guard signs.
Boozer is expected to earn $16.8 million in the final year of his contract. That is a salary cap killer. The Bulls cannot afford that so they must figure out options to get rid of the forward. If waived, the Bulls would have about $9.7 million in cap space. A sign-and-trade would at least allow the Bulls to take back about $20 million in salary. The amnesty clause wipes him completely from the books.
According to the Chicago Sun-Times, the Bulls have informed Boozer that there is a strong possibility he will be amnestied sometime soon. The deadline to use the clause is July 18 and if Chicago gets the impression that Anthony will sign with them, then Boozer is good as gone.
Chicago attempted to trade Boozer several times. They reached out to the New York Knicks in hopes of orchestrating a sign-and-trade to get Anthony and dump Boozer. However, the Knicks are completely uninterested in the forward despite losing Tyson Chandler. They cannot afford his contract with players like Amar'e Stoudemire on the books still.
Boozer is not worth the money, hence why Chicago is having to grit their teeth and simply cut ties with him. The forward averaged 13.7 points and 8.3 assists last season. While he is still a quality shooter, his defense is lacking and he rarely played into the fourth quarter. With Anthony on the brain, Boozer is not welcomed.
