Bulls Rumors: Brandon Roy Is Dream Candidate for Chicago at Shooting Guard
Today is a magical day in the NBA. Simply put, NBA teams, starting today at 9:00 p.m. EST, can start talking to agents. Now we are into actual rumors and not mere speculation. The first actual name out of the box is Brandon Roy, the presumed amnesty cut in Portland.
Chris Broussard of ESPN tweets, "Bulls' dream (sources say) & Heat's nightmare is for Chi to get Brandon Roy after Blazers cut him w/amnesty clause.."
In a follow-up tweet he says, "But Bulls know Roy likely to be picked up first by a team with cap room. Source says Chi has interest in Josh Howard too, so does Wash & NJ"
The way the amnesty works is teams that are under the cap get the first crack at the amnesty players. One team that is under the cap and who is reportedly interested in Brandon Roy as well is the Golden State Warriors. Now it's possible that if Roy tell the Warriors he's not interested, they might look elsewhere.
Brandon Roy is unlikely to survive through the amnesty waiver wire, but if he does he would be an outstanding fit for the Bulls.
Every aspect of his game is the ideal fit for the Bulls situation. He is a defensive-minded player who can create his own shots and has a career .352 three-point field goal percentage.
The other name that Broussard brings up is Josh Howard. Howard was at one time an NBA All-Star, but has lost a lot of game over the last two years. In 10 starts last year, he averaged just 8.9 points and 4.8 boards in limited action. Clearly, there's going to need to be a major step up if Howard is going to be the answer.
While Roy would probably be their "best case scenario" and Howard their "worst case scenario," it's not likely that these are the only two possibilities. That they have a similar size and skill set.
They seem to be eying veteran wings who can play either the shooting guard or small forward spot, and who provide both offense and defense.
Another free agent who fits all these criteria whose name might come up is Tracy McGrady, who would do all of that better than Howard, and probably for cheaper.
