Bulls Vs. Knicks Free Agency: Who Has the Upper Hand to the Summer of LeBron?

Before July 1 arrives, let's set one thing clear the best possible scenario for any team would be to sign LeBron James.

Now it seems that all the media and basketball analyst believe that LBJ is going to re-sign with Cleveland (with the advantage of the extra year and potentially $30 million more over the course of the contract) or the Chicago Bulls (due to the remarkable young nucleus of talent).

However, what most analyst overlook is the ability of Donnie Walsh and the recent economic nature of the NBA.

First let's take a look at the Bulls who have enough salary cap to sign one MAX free agent. Lets assume James decides to come to Chicago. The new starting line up for 2010-2011 would look something like this:

PG: Derrick Rose

SG: Kirk Hinrich

SF: LBJ/James Johnson

PF: Deng/Gibson

C : Noah/Gibson

Plus, whoever the Bulls decide to select in the NBA Draft with the Knicks' pick.

Let's analyze this situation. Yes, this is a very talented and young team, but haven’t the Dallas Mavericks been a very talented team the last decade? What about the Orlando Magic this year?

To win in the NBA, it is very important to have the proper mixture of talent and skill set.  It's no shock that LBJ has the ball in his hands a great deal of time, would he be able to co-exist with Rose? If so, how will this effect Rose’s development?

If not, can LBJ become simply a scorer (who doesn’t work with the ball in his hands as much)? Finally, who will coach the Bulls? How long will it take to develop chemistry between these new players and their altered roles?

Now let's take a look at the NY Knicks, who have enough salary cap to sign two max free agents. The best possible scenario for the Knicks would be to sign LBJ and Chris Bosh (either outright or through S&T with David Lee).

Now, I know the first criticism most people will come up with is why would those two want to come to NY with no supporting cast?

Let's reconsider that statement and analyze the roster more carefully. As mentioned before, a proper mixture of talent and skill set is necessary for success in the NBA.

The Knicks will have Toney Douglas, Gallo, Chandler, and Curry on the books (and possibly Walker).

Throughout the season, people who saw the NY Knicks and followed them closely saw the growth and improvement in Gallo, Chandler, and Douglas (who are all young and still have not reached their potential and therefore would be willing to adjust with LBJ and Bosh).

Lets begin with Douglas, who has been known for his defensive intensity against point guards (a very important skill with the how many top-tier guards we now have: Rondo, CP3, Dwill, Nash, Kidd, Billups, Rose, etc.).

But what Douglas also displayed was a very solid shooting stroke out to the 3-point range, which is very important in having LBJ, who requires an open and spread court.

Next up is Chandler, who is considered a raw and very diverse player. At 6’7", he can rebound well, defend multiple positions with speed and decent strength, and is improving his slashing and shooting.

Basically, Chandler is a perfect role player to a team with superstars and will greatly benefit with double teams that both LBJ and Bosh will demand. Expectations of Chandler can be comparable to Ariza during the Lakers 2009 title run.

Finally, Gallo’s shooting touch will be a huge asset to LBJ and Bosh. In addition, he is becoming a better defender and was one of the main pieces for the Knicks last year.

Can you imagine the open looks he would get being surrounded by LBJ and Bosh, now that he is a third or fourth option?

Now most people will say this is great but the team has no inside presence and will be a horrible defensive team.

Well we have seen in the past years that expiring contracts are a huge asset in the NBA economy (Gasol trade, Jamison, Jefferson, etc.). I firmly believe the teams that fail in acquiring the top free agents will decide to cut their losses and plan for 2011 or 2012.

Therefore, players like Emeka Okafor or Monta Ellis or Hedo Turkologu will be in demand. The Hornets will have a high draft pick in the his year's draft, and with many bigs available, I think they would be willing to trade Okafor for the expiring of Curry and just draft a younger big on a rookie contract (plus Peja expires at the end of the year, so the Hornets can begin to rebuild for 2011).

Now let's look at the Knicks lineup:

PG: Douglas/Eddie House

SG: LBJ/Walker

SF: Gallo/Chandler

PF: Bosh/Chandler

C: Okafor/Barron

Now the Knicks have a plan to convince LBJ to grow into the role of Magic Johnson during the Showtime era. This is a perfect role for him as he is more of a passer than a scorer.

Now Okafor is not going to be a savior for the Knicks, but he is a big, strong body and is known for rebounding and blocking shots, which would complement Bosh perfectly (once again proper mixture of talent and skills).

Also, I would not doubt Donnie Walsh’s ability as a GM who might be able to bring some veterans along with this group for cheap. He has shown an ability to accomplish his goals in a timely manner (clearly TONS of cap space in less than two years).

To conclude, lets compare these two lineups. Who is going to be the primary ball handler on the Knicks? No question LBJ. For the Bulls? Rose or LBJ? How many players can spread the court for LBJ and Bosh on the Knicks? Douglas, House, and Gallo.

For the Bulls? Hinrich and Deng (maybe not three-point range). Will Deng be able to guard the big PFs in the NBA (Gasol, Dirk, Amare, Boozer, etc.)?

I will let the audience decide which team would display better chemistry and mesh a proper set of skills for NBA success.