Are the Bulls even trying to trade for Carmelo?

[Crazy Style]

According to this article despite rumors of the Bulls attempting to acquire him before the trade deadline, it doesn't look like they're making that much of an effort. We'll see what happens around the trade deadline, maybe the bulls front office will pleasantly surprise us. Let's hope they do.:confusedshrug:

http://www.suntimes.com/sports/basketball/bulls/25560990-579/bulls-figure-to-be-quiet-at-trade-deadline.html

[Upgrayedd]

If the Knicks feel that he'll walk after this season I'm sure they'd start listening to trade offers right now. The Bulls have a lot to offer. I think they'd have to give up Taj, Hinrich or Dunleavy and a couple of draft picks. They'd have to amnesty Boozer for sure after this season so they could re-sign Melo.

You'd still have a core of Melo, Butler, Noah and Rose which is a contender for sure with the right players around them. Hopefully they could bring Mirotic over next season.

C: Noah
PF: Mirotic
SF: Melo
SG: Butler
PG: Rose

Hopefully they keep Augustin and Snell. They'd have to rebuild the bench though.

[ljsbb27]

I think the Bulls are actively speaking to as many teams as they can around the league as the trade deadline approaches. They've already been one of the mote active teams this season with the Deng and Teague trades.

We'll see. Nothing would surprise me, but I don't see a big move being completed if any.

I think the Knicks will try their best to re-sign Melo and won't trade him even if they feel he may walk. I think they'll want to give it their best shot at keeping him this offseason and won't be willing to trade him now.

With that said the Bulls probably could make a very appealing offer and I would be open to it, but the Knicks would have to accept and we'd have to get some confirmation from Melo that he would resign.

[ljsbb27]

If the Knicks feel that he'll walk after this season I'm sure they'd start listening to trade offers right now. The Bulls have a lot to offer. I think they'd have to give up Taj, Hinrich or Dunleavy and a couple of draft picks. They'd have to amnesty Boozer for sure after this season so they could re-sign Melo.

You'd still have a core of Melo, Butler, Noah and Rose which is a contender for sure with the right players around them. Hopefully they could bring Mirotic over next season.

C: Noah
PF: Mirotic
SF: Melo
SG: Butler
PG: Rose

Hopefully they keep Augustin and Snell. They'd have to rebuild the bench though.

I think the Knicks would insist on the inclusion of Jimmy Butler. It'd be tough to see him go but I still go for it.

Rose, Melo and Noah is a really nice big three that compliment eachother really well and then you figure out the rest of the roster afterwards.

Taj, Jimmy, Kirk and our 1st round pick is what i'd offer.

That is with a guarantee from Melo he resigns.

[Upgrayedd]

Yeah I would give up both Taj and Butler to get Melo. You're right, Melo, Noah and Rose is still a good "big 3" to build around. Plus Mirotic is supposed to be awesome. That's 3 all-stars (Melo, Noah and Rose) plus someone who will probably turn into an all-star (Mirotic). Fill up the roster with good role players. Who's a decent 2 guard the Bulls could go after? I'd even take Ben Gordon back if he was available.

C: Noah
PF: Mirotic
SF: Melo
SG: ?
PG: Rose

Knicks would be stupid to pass on an offer of Taj Gibson & Jimmy Butler and a draft pick for Carmelo Anthony.

[(e)]

Amnesty Boozer.
Bulls bring over Mirotic.
Knicks do sign and trade and get Taj in return.
Bulls resign Hinrich and DJ.
Bobcats pick falls outside top 10, goes to Chicago.

Rose/DJ
Butler/Hinrich
Melo/Dunleavy/Snell
Mirotic/Bobcats pick
Noah/Bulls pick

[Undisputed]

I have become so weary expecting big trades to happen, now days it's just all bullshit to me when I hear a rumor. Don't get your hopes up for a trade for Carmelo Anthony. I am honestly enjoying what I am seeing from this squad. Of course it's not a championship team, but damn are they fun to watch on a good night. I just want to watch basketball without hearing about all this stuff, but that's the landscape, I just don't have to like it.

I am open minded when it comes to trades or signings. It doesn't have to be Carmelo Anthony...there are a lot of pieces that can be put together to make a winner. The Bulls have so many options with all of their current assets. Things are certainly interesting in Chicago.

[Go Getter]

I have become so weary expecting big trades to happen, now days it's just all bullshit to me when I hear a rumor. Don't get your hopes up for a trade for Carmelo Anthony. I am honestly enjoying what I am seeing from this squad. Of course it's not a championship team, but damn are they fun to watch on a good night. I just want to watch basketball without hearing about all this stuff, but that's the landscape, I just don't have to like it.

I am open minded when it comes to trades or signings. It doesn't have to be Carmelo Anthony...there are a lot of pieces that can be put together to make a winner. The Bulls have so many options with all of their current assets. Things are certainly interesting in Chicago.

Good to see you post again man. I agree wholeheartedly.

[Crystallas]

It would be such a smart move to trade away good players to another team for a shot chucking so-called star-player that has no loyalty and a lot of issues with an ETO this summer. Knicks were better before making that Feb 22nd 2011 trade. Then came the circus. Man, they were smart to do that! Sucks that the Knicks might lose Melo now. Now it's the Carmelo apologists turn to make an argument.

[Upgrayedd]

I have become so weary expecting big trades to happen, now days it's just all bullshit to me when I hear a rumor. Don't get your hopes up for a trade for Carmelo Anthony. I am honestly enjoying what I am seeing from this squad. Of course it's not a championship team, but damn are they fun to watch on a good night. I just want to watch basketball without hearing about all this stuff, but that's the landscape, I just don't have to like it.

I am open minded when it comes to trades or signings. It doesn't have to be Carmelo Anthony...there are a lot of pieces that can be put together to make a winner. The Bulls have so many options with all of their current assets. Things are certainly interesting in Chicago.

I agree that this team is interesting right now. The Bulls have many options. They don't have to rebuild completely. They have draft picks and players they can trade and be back to competing for a championship by next season if it all works out. While I really like guys like Taj and Jimmy Butler I really wouldn't have a problem trading one or both of them to get that second superstar player. People can say what they want about Carmelo Anthony but he's exactly what this team needs. Someone who can score on a regular basis. You team him up with Noah and Rose and that's a damn good "big 3". Chicago would be perfect for Melo. He'd have the whole city to himself (well besides Rose). He wouldn't have to share it like he would in LA with Kobe. Plus now that the Clippers and Griffin and CP3 are there too he'd have to share the spotlight with a lot of players. Also, not just that but this would be the perfect situation for him when it comes to truly competing for a championship. He'd be playing along with Rose and Noah, he'd be playing for a great coach. Even if the Bulls had to give up Taj and Butler they'd still have the option of Mirotic, they'd still have some draft picks, they could re-sign DJ Augustin, keep Snell and Hinrich and fill out the rest of the roster with good role players. That's a championship team, IMO and Melo would be motivated to win here in Chicago I think.

If not Melo then someone like Kevin Love would be perfect. My point is the Bulls have to get that second superstar player. No team is winning with just one superstar especially when that superstar has gone down with two major knee injuries.

[ljsbb27]

The Bulls are certainly in a situation where they have a lot of options and are in a pretty good situation.

The fact of the matter remains though because of Rose's injuries there is a big cloud of uncertainty surrounding our team as well.

Of course we like to watch good basketball and I love watching our current roster play their hearts out, play the right way and truly be a great representation of what our great coach wants out of his team.

With that being said, ultimately the goal of every team is to win a championship. Currently constructed even with a healthy Rose I don't see our Bulls achieving that goal.

So to me it I obvious that some moves need to be made. Whether by trade, signing or drafting this team still needs some adjusting and/or adjustments.

[Upgrayedd]

I like the type of players that the Bulls have tried to win a championship with since Paxson took over in 2003. He goes for the hard working players who won't disrupt team chemistry. Hinrich, Rose, Noah, Deng, Jimmy Butler, Taj Gibson. But they need to take a chance and go after someone like Carmelo Anthony.

Even with a healthy Rose and if they would have kept Deng this team isn't winning a championship as is. They need 'Melo or Kevin Love. Someone. A legit superstar player to help Rose and Noah.

C: Noah
PF: Love
SF: Snell
SG: Butler
PG: Rose

That's a championship team.

Or...

C: Noah
PF: Taj
SF: 'Melo
SG: Butler
PG: Rose

[ljsbb27]

It would be such a smart move to trade away good players to another team for a shot chucking so-called star-player that has no loyalty and a lot of issues with an ETO this summer. Knicks were better before making that Feb 22nd 2011 trade. Then came the circus. Man, they were smart to do that! Sucks that the Knicks might lose Melo now. Now it's the Carmelo apologists turn to make an argument.

I think you're being too harsh on Melo, but obviously that's your opinion. He's matured a great deal since the point in time I would classify him the way your describing him. This year I've seen him play harder on both ends of the floor than any other point in his career. He's scoring, he's rebounding the ball, he's going hard defensively and he's being a leader out on the floor.

I would disagree that the Knicks were better off before. Sure they were young and exciting at times (partly because of D'Antoni's run and gun type offense and with the players they had fitting into small ball type offense, but they weren't winning anything with Wilson Chandler and Danilo Gallinari. Also with that being said the Nuggets continue to be an average team who will never be true contenders with their current make up.

Sure Melo doesn't have a championship, but he always carried that Nuggets team to the playoffs and the Knicks had a pretty good year last year. This year obviously they haven't met expectations, but a lot of that is due to injuries, suspensions, off the court issues and other players not matching what they were supposed to put up. Melo has done his part.

Melo is at the point in his career where he wants to win not only more games but championships. He's never had a good enough team around him, he's never had a good locker room, and he's never had a good well rounded coach with an emphasis on defense. A lot of the things he's criticized for is a result of his environment being the coaches he's had, the teammates he's had and the organizations he's been a part of.

In my honest opinion the combination of Melo getting older and wiser with being included into our organization with our coaching staff and our roster of players would do wonders for his personal game, advance his team game and benefit the rest of the roster.

[Go Getter]

Lmao...dude how many times are you gonna type up your fantasy Bulls team?

It's like IMPOSSIBLE for you to be patient and logical. I bet you cried a lot as a kid.

[tamaraw08]

I think you're being too harsh on Melo, but obviously that's your opinion. He's matured a great deal since the point in time I would classify him the way your describing him. This year I've seen him play harder on both ends of the floor than any other point in his career. He's scoring, he's rebounding the ball, he's going hard defensively and he's being a leader out on the floor.

I would disagree that the Knicks were better off before. Sure they were young and exciting at times (partly because of D'Antoni's run and gun type offense and with the players they had fitting into small ball type offense, but they weren't winning anything with Wilson Chandler and Danilo Gallinari. Also with that being said the Nuggets continue to be an average team who will never be true contenders with their current make up.

Sure Melo doesn't have a championship, but he always carried that Nuggets team to the playoffs and the Knicks had a pretty good year last year. This year obviously they haven't met expectations, but a lot of that is due to injuries, suspensions, off the court issues and other players not matching what they were supposed to put up. Melo has done his part.

Melo is at the point in his career where he wants to win not only more games but championships. He's never had a good enough team around him, he's never had a good locker room, and he's never had a good well rounded coach with an emphasis on defense. A lot of the things he's criticized for is a result of his environment being the coaches he's had, the teammates he's had and the organizations he's been a part of. In my honest opinion the combination of Melo getting older and wiser with being included into our organization with our coaching staff and our roster of players would do wonders for his personal game, advance his team game and benefit the rest of the roster.
Im tending to side with Crystallas here. The Denver team he was a part of was pretty good, And they REMAINED good when he left, til this year where they let Iggi and George Karl walk.
All this talk about Melo being older and wiser etc... I don't see it.
Is he really well rounded?
Good rebounder? Good defender? Good passer? Good leader and locker room guy?
The guy is a great scorer, that is it, IMO. A player who is a better version of Rudy Gay minus the "charismatic smirk"... and the hoopla.
To me, I would try to focus of 2way players like Arron Afflalo

[Rose]

Im tending to side with Crystallas here. The Denver team he was a part of was pretty good, And they REMAINED good when he left, til this year where they let Iggi and George Karl walk.
All this talk about Melo being older and wiser etc... I don't see it.
Is he really well rounded?
Good rebounder? Good defender? Good passer? Good leader and locker room guy?
The guy is a great scorer, that is it, IMO. A player who is a better version of Rudy Gay minus the "charismatic smirk"... and the hoopla.
To me, I would try to focus of 2way players like Arron Afflalo
By that logic....Rose is overrated.

The Nuggets were "good" but those two years of Chauncey/Melo they were contenders, after that trade they were just a playoff team.

[Undisputed]

The situation in Chicago is perfect for Carmelo Anthony with or without Derrick Rose, even though I am still indifferent about him. Coach Thibs just needs that guy who can score and the Bulls will be serious contenders again regardless of who the supporting cast is. That is because Thibs has everyone ready to play and gets the most out of his guys on both ends of the court...Boozer being the exception, because Booze is full retard when it comes to defense.

If he wants to win, he comes here. But from what we're told and lead to believe about Melo, I doubt winning is the only thing he is concerned about.

[Crystallas]

If Mirotic is anywhere near his hype, Melo wont fit.

In fact, he is the reason why the Bulls aren't trading for/going after Melo. Because Mirotic will eat up the salary cap.

[Upgrayedd]

The Bulls already have Taj. If it comes down to Mirotic or Melo I'll go with Melo.

[Crystallas]

The Bulls already have Taj. If it comes down to Mirotic or Melo I'll go with Melo.


Good thing it wont come down to Mirotic or Melo, because Melo isn't coming here. There was a 1 week window where Melo's drama queen ass started throwing out potential destinations. Just as the winds change, so did Carmelo's mind. He wants to stay in New York, give the Knicks a discount, and he is not just saying that for the fans.

Just like LeMarcus said he likes the Bulls, he has also changed his mind, wants to stay in Portland. Kevin Love too, he wants to go to the west coast. And guess what. What can we learn from all of this.

Mirotic wants to play for the Bulls.

[Upgrayedd]

Melo wants to win a championship and as is the Knicks aren't a championship team and there's really no room for improvement unless they make tons of trades and revamp the whole roster. Melo and Chicago would be a perfect fit for both. The Bulls have needed a scorer like Melo for a long time now, Melo playing on the Bulls makes sense for him because he'd have the Chicago market pretty much to himself and wouldn't have to share it with Kobe or Blake Griffin and Chris Paul in LA. And teaming up with Noah, Rose, Taj Gibson and Jimmy Butler and playing for Thibs would be the best team he's played for in his career. That team has everything. They can play defense, score, rebound. They'd be contenders for sure.

[tamaraw08]

By that logic....Rose is overrated.

The Nuggets were "good" but those two years of Chauncey/Melo they were contenders, after that trade they were just a playoff team.

You know what? I don't/can't disagree. Anytime you add a former Final's MVP to the equation, your chances of winning becomes exponentially better. :D

[ljsbb27]

Im tending to side with Crystallas here. The Denver team he was a part of was pretty good, And they REMAINED good when he left, til this year where they let Iggi and George Karl walk.
All this talk about Melo being older and wiser etc... I don't see it.
Is he really well rounded?
Good rebounder? Good defender? Good passer? Good leader and locker room guy?
The guy is a great scorer, that is it, IMO. A player who is a better version of Rudy Gay minus the "charismatic smirk"... and the hoopla.
To me, I would try to focus of 2way players like Arron Afflalo

Aaron Afflalo is not bringing the Bulls to a championship. He's a nice small piece, but he's not what we need to bring us over the hump.

Have you seen Carmelo play this year? He's playing harder than he's ever played before. It's taken a while, but I believe he's gotten to the point where he's serious about winning a championship. Melo has always had the potential to be a very good defender and he is at times he's just not consistent it with it. He actually does one of the best jobs at guarding Lebron in the league. He's also not had very good defensive coaches throughtout his career or a good defensive cast of teammates. I know his defense would improve immensely with Thibs and our system and roster.

This year he's carrying the Knicks on his back. It's not his fault they are losing these games. He continues to score almost at will, but its the other facets of his game this year that are impressing me. He's getting after it defensively, he's hustling, he's rebounding and he's doing a great job of passing out of doubles and getting his guys good looks. I've also seen him be very encouraging and talkative to teammates something he wasn't always known for.

I'm supporting going after him this offseason. I don't believe it's the only move we can make to improve but I do feel it's the most ideal one.

With that being said I still think he's leaning towards staying in NYC. He will give them a discount, but they need to do something with that money somehow to impress him because I do think there's a chance he walks if they can't bring anyone in and if he does he will consider us.

Don't see us as favorites, but I'm leaving the window open.

But again I'll reiterate I don't think its Melo or bust. We still have other options out there to improve. Our former MVP's health is the biggest upgrade we can give ourselves.

[tamaraw08]

Aaron Afflalo is not bringing the Bulls to a championship. He's a nice small piece, but he's not what we need to bring us over the hump.

Have you seen Carmelo play this year? He's playing harder than he's ever played before. It's taken a while, but I believe he's gotten to the point where he's serious about winning a championship. Melo has always had the potential to be a very good defender and he is at times he's just not consistent it with it. He actually does one of the best jobs at guarding Lebron in the league. He's also not had very good defensive coaches throughtout his career or a good defensive cast of teammates. I know his defense would improve immensely with Thibs and our system and roster.

This year he's carrying the Knicks on his back. It's not his fault they are losing these games. He continues to score almost at will, but its the other facets of his game this year that are impressing me. He's getting after it defensively, he's hustling, he's rebounding and he's doing a great job of passing out of doubles and getting his guys good looks. I've also seen him be very encouraging and talkative to teammates something he wasn't always known for.

I'm supporting going after him this offseason. I don't believe it's the only move we can make to improve but I do feel it's the most ideal one.

With that being said I still think he's leaning towards staying in NYC. He will give them a discount, but they need to do something with that money somehow to impress him because I do think there's a chance he walks if they can't bring anyone in and if he does he will consider us.

Don't see us as favorites, but I'm leaving the window open.

But again I'll reiterate I don't think its Melo or bust. We still have other options out there to improve. Our former MVP's health is the biggest upgrade we can give ourselves.

I never said just Arron Afflalo, I said 2-way playerS, as in plural. :(
I don't think Carmelo can bring the Bulls over the hump either without a healthy Rose.
Yes, I admit, I haven't been watching the guy who loves to dominate the ball too much lately. :eek:
Probably its just a matter of preference. Yes, I prefer hardworking 2-way players who runs hard to their sweet spots, if open, shoot, if not pass the ball to open teammates esp the entry passes at the low post. Someone who don't hesitate to do extra stuff like rebound, provide picks and DEFEND hard. etc.
But hey, you might be right. A great coach like Thibs always finds a way to make it work. I was wrong many times, including Bellinelli.