There are plenty rumors flying around that Chicago is interested in all-star forward Carmelo Anthony.
According to what has been heard and said, 'Melo would prefer a trade to either NY or the Windy City. Since right now the Knicks have limited assets, they really can't offer Denver a lucrative trade for the all-star and former Olympian which is why Chicago can do something with its pool of young talent.
However, a trade could involve parting ways with Deng and Noah to have the former Syracuse star.
Thoughts and Analysis:
This is definitely a tough decision for the "Baby Bulls" and the potential to have a big three (Rose, Boozer, and Anthony) to compete against Miami.
But I think Chicago may be better off by not doing this trade. Noah is arguably one of the more underrated players in the league as he provides a defensive backbone for Chicago as the Bulls already now have the scoring load with Rose and now Boozer, who can put up a double-double on most nights.
I can see to a certain point to why Carmelo would like to play for NY and Chicago as NY with still a lot of money can get one or two more good players while Chicago can be one of the beasts in the East this year.
However, I can see Carmelo landing in up in LA (and not the good LA team) or some other team that can take considerably longer to be good. In Denver, Chauncey Billups is still one of the better guards in the league and Denver is still capable of holding its own against the 2-time defending NBA Champions.
If I were 'Melo, I would take the 3 year, $65 million deal while still on a good team. He may be sorry he requested a trade because he really has no choice where he goes if and perhaps when he is traded.
The grass is not always greener on the other side. And even if the Knicks acquire Carmelo, they've still got a bit of ground to make up to become a true contender for the NBA championship.
The Bulls would be a better fit for Carmelo, but watch out for the Clippers: I think that they've got the pieces to do well, especially if Blake Griffin is as good as advertised and can stay healthy. (Then again, it's the Clippers, and something always goes wrong eventually, it seems).
If I were Carmelo, I'd stay put.
"Say, the next time you want to win your daughter back, you could just try giving her a pony, the apocalypse doesn’t really cut it!" --The Prince, Prince of Persia (2008)
Fan of the Indianapolis Colts (Super Bowl XLI Champions), Indiana Pacers and Washington Nationals
Certified RFMC Member-- Ask To See My Credentials!
Co-Winner of Time's Person of the Year Award, 2006
The problem with Carmelo staying is that nobody knows what'll happen with the new CBA. If he doesn't sign an extension this year, he could potentially see a lot less money around lockout time.
I've heard enough people make the case that Chicago has won before without a center, but that was a much different era. In fact, the Bulls NEED an established big man around. It's really the best way to compete with the Heat, who don't have a reliable down-low presence, and the Celtics, who have Shaq and Perkins waiting in the wings after the All-Star break.
There is zero chance 'Melo ends up with the Clippers, no matter how many pieces they have available. To get Carmelo, the Clippers would have to give up their first rounder AND the first rounder they got from Minnesota, which would be a no-brainer to anyone...except Donald Sterling. Donald Sterling has NEVER surrendered a first-round pick, because to him, they're high-quality players that you don't have to commit a high salary to. The tightwad strikes again!
And Saint Attila raised the hand grenade up on high, saying, "O Lord, bless this Thy hand grenade that with it Thou mayest blow Thine enemies to tiny bits, in Thy mercy."
Good points to bring up about it being a totally different era; when the Bulls won, they had 2 players leading them who only happen to be in the Hall of Fame and both were listed on the 50 Greatest Players of all time.
In addition, the Bulls had a lot of good role players. In their first 3-peat, Chicago's shooter was BJ Armstrong, while their regular man on the boards was Horace Grant. In the second 3-peat, the shooter was Steve Kerr and "The Worm" was the cleaning up the boards. However both times the Bulls had pretty good centers but not a defensive minded center such as Joakim Noah and the Bulls right now need someone to compliment Boozer on the boards while Boozer adds a nice low post scoring threat and Rose is the catalyst.
'Melo says he would prefer to go NY or Chicago but it looks like he may go elsewhere based on that NY has really no one to trade for while Chicago is better at keeping its young talent. Besides Denver, I have hard time thinking where Carmelo would fit or where he could eventually end up.