Chicago Bulls Would Have to Win This Year with Carmelo Anthony

Carmelo to Chicago?

The NBA has been full of trades, free agent moves and floods of rumors since the summer of 2010. With teams in the Eastern Conference adding talent, the Chicago Bulls also tried to add another weapon in Carlos Boozer.

With the talent that Boozer brings to Chicago, it seems as if there are still some missing pieces. With the playoff-built Boston Celtics adding older, but still effective, Shaquille O’Neal and keeping coach Doc Rivers, the Bulls would still have fits in a seven-game series.

The Miami Heat have questions about their identity, however, all the players are there come December to make a viable run at the title. The Orlando Magic are going under the radar because of all of the hype in their state. If Dwight Howard ever becomes a scorer away from the basket, the whole Eastern Conference power rankings could change dramatically.

As the Western Conference loses some of their players, the teams that were contenders have shifted a bit. The Lakers look to be the favorites with the nucleus of last year’s team returning. Remarkably, Phil Jackson has a chance for another three-peat if the experienced squad can stay healthy come June.

The up-and-coming Oklahoma City Thunder have MVP candidate Kevin Durant and rising point guard Russell Westbrook who will be the new force to be reckoned with sooner than later.

While these teams have their culture developed, the Denver Nuggets are trying to find a solution to their current dilemma. Carmelo Anthony is wanting out of Denver as soon as the team can find a viable deal to get him out of town.

The Nuggets are holding their cards to see what kind of options are out there to get back any value. If they keep Anthony the whole season, he will become a free agent and the price for his play will go up as seen in the summer by the overpriced signing of Amare Stoudemire to the Knicks.

The Chicago Bulls and the New York Knicks seem to have the best chance to pick up Carmelo. The Knicks would give the Nuggets draft picks and some young talent for the prolific scorer.

The Bulls are rumored that Joakim Noah would have no shot to be traded in a deal for Anthony. He is the spark plug of the team and has improved on both sides of the floor every year in the league. He may not score 25 points every night, but just his presence and the floor and the defensive tenacity are vital to the success of the Bulls.

While some see this trade as a no-brainer, it might make the Bulls a version of the Dallas Cowboys; lots of talent with nothing to show for it.

If the Bulls could find a way to trade Taj Gibson and the highly-overpaid Luol Deng, then the deal would look to put Chicago on the map as one of the powerhouse NBA teams. With Derrick Rose running the point, Carmelo Anthony and Carlos Boozer creating shots and Joakim Noah hitting the glass, it almost sounds too good to be true.

The real problem would be trying to strategize a plan to keep all the players on the team next year under the salary cap when Carmelo Anthony becomes a free agent. It would be a gamble that would have to work this season.

The Bulls could also stand firm and confident that team currently constituted can beat the Celtics, Heat, Magic or the Lakers in a seven-game series. Right now, the Bulls look like a playoff team, but many teams make the playoffs only to be knocked out in the first or second round.