NBA Rumors: Brandon Roy Not Worth the Trouble for Bulls

If you believe the latest chatter, Brandon Roy has played his last games for the Portland Trail Blazers.

In the event that you're just now joining us, John Canzano of The Oregonian reported on Monday that the Blazers are prepared to cut Roy via the amnesty clause. He was a bright young player once, but injuries have taken their toll. Roy is no longer worth the $68 million the Blazers owe him over the next four years.

When the Blazers do amnesty Roy, he will become a free agent, albeit one with a few strings attached. Per ESPN's Chris Broussard, a certain Eastern Conference superpower would be interested in acquiring him:

Makes sense, right? The Bulls' need for a capable shooting guard has been well-documented, and Roy would be a high-reward investment.

But wait. There's more, and it's not exactly encouraging for Bulls fans:

See, the thing about the amnesty clause is that teams under the cap get first dibs, and at last check (see the Chicago Tribune), the Bulls are expected to be over the cap. A lot would have to happen for them to get a fair shot at Roy, and goodness knows they're not going to be the only team after Roy's services.

Case in point, Marcus Thompson of the Bay Area News Group recently wrote that the Warriors are "definitely" going to be interested in Roy if the Blazers amnesty him. It helps that Roy would supposedly prefer to stay on the West Coast and that his former agent is now the Warriors assistant GM.

So yeah, the Bulls getting Roy should be considered a longshot. 

And you know what? That's not such a bad thing.

While Roy would undoubtedly represent an upgrade at shooting guard for the Bulls, his recent injury troubles make him a bit of a risk. Roy hasn't been at full strength for a couple years now, and you obviously have to wonder whether or not he'll ever recapture his old form.

Having Roy this season would be even more risky. Howard Beck of The New York Times tweeted a couple days ago that teams are going to play more back-to-backs than usual in the upcoming shortened season, and that doesn't bode well for a guy like Roy who needs his rest.

If the Bulls were to somehow acquire Roy, they would be hoping he'd turn into a stud again. But do they really need a stud? I don't think they do. I think they merely need somebody who can hold down the fort at shooting guard, and there are going to be plenty of other guys who can do that, especially after amnesty players hit the market.

Don't get me wrong, the idea of Roy in a Bulls uniform is definitely attractive. It's just not a realistic idea, and the Bulls would be rolling the dice even if they managed to acquire him.