The interesting possibility to me here is that, as you suggested, Phil may want to start over from scratch. He seems egotistical enough to want to do that. If that's the case, then the Bulls are probably in good shape.

_________________

He picked a good time to do it and probably a good coach. If they make the Bulls take back JR Smith in a sign and trade they will have almost $60M in cap space next summer.

_________________
Be well

GO BEARS!!!

We'll see. For a guy like Melo, NY seems to provide a lot of things Chicago can't.

_________________

Remember, the Bulls just drafted Paul Pierce. So that will help.

_________________
Fare you well, fare you well
I love you more than words can tell
Listen to the river sing sweet songs
To rock my soul

_________________
Be well

GO BEARS!!!

I know that is a big deal but free agents do move.

A sign and trade with New York is more likely though. If Cleveland was willing to do it for Lebron then New York certainly would.

_________________
You do not talk to me like that! I work too hard to deal with this stuff! I work too hard! I'm an important member of the CSFMB! I drive a Dodge Stratus!

True, but Cleveland is a shithole, and New York is, in Carmelo's estimation, the best place in the world to play basketball. I would imagine that Carmelo, like many on the East Coast, would view a move to Chicago as a step down. Oddly enough, a lot of people in Boston seem to think that city is bigger (and more important) than Chicago. That tells you something about where our city stands in the East Coast imagination.

_________________

People from Boston are idiots though. Besides two sports rivalries, they are basically the equivalent of Baltimore to most New Yorkers.

The Knicks are a terrible organization with a terrible owner and no real hope for the future outside of a guy who was a great coach and probably isn't a great GM.

There also is a noticeable feeling of discontent with Carmelo here. They appreciate his talent but the Knicks seem to be going nowhere fast.

_________________
You do not talk to me like that! I work too hard to deal with this stuff! I work too hard! I'm an important member of the CSFMB! I drive a Dodge Stratus!

Being Patrick Ewing is noble but it isn't smart. He's a Jordan brand guy and he sees what happens when you win here. I think he is smart and wants to win.

_________________
Be well

GO BEARS!!!

Bostonians are certainly idiots in the way they overestimate the importance of their city. But I think you could make a similar argument about Chicagoans.

In any event, the Bulls situation isn't necessarily ideal for Carmelo.

Paxson has been running the organization for over a decade and hasn't achieved much. Does he carry much cache among NBA players? I doubt it. While it's true that the Bulls have an excellent coach, we don't know how much that fact matters to Melo. A fair amount of insiders seem to believe he prioritizes lifestyle and money over winning. This would suggest that it will be very difficult to lure him from New York unless his eventual destination is LA or Miami.

_________________

I could definitely see Carmelo returning to New York. It's hard to tell with him.

I think part of him thought he would become king of New York when he came here. It certainly hasn't happened. He'd have to win a title here to do that, and that seems highly unlikely.

_________________
You do not talk to me like that! I work too hard to deal with this stuff! I work too hard! I'm an important member of the CSFMB! I drive a Dodge Stratus!

Good points, but his comments suggest that he romanticizes the city in a way that will make it very difficult for him to leave. He is a hometown kid who has always regarded NY as the center of the universe. That thinking gives the Knicks a huge advantage if they really want him back.

_________________

Much ado about nothing. Bulls aren't winning squat whether Anthony comes here or not.

_________________
Proud member of the white guy grievance committee

It aint the six minutes. Its what happens in those six minutes.

A lot depends on Rose's knees.

If he's healthy and the Bulls have Melo, Rose and Noah as their top three, the team will be very formidable.

_________________

I don't think Rose will come close to being as good as he once was. 2 scoped knees, not a good enough jump shooter so he has to drive to be effective . He has to have lost at least a step, isn't big enough to make a career out of consistently driving the hoop . Throw in I don't think he's mentally tough enough to ever trust his knees again and its a soupy mess for the Bulls.

_________________
Proud member of the white guy grievance committee

It aint the six minutes. Its what happens in those six minutes.

Rose's contract has become awful. Really killing the Bulls.

_________________

You are giving voice to many of my worst basketball fears.

I don't trust Rose's knees or his resolve.

That's a big reason why I would stay away from the Bulls if I were Melo.

_________________

Really, we already know the one knee is fine, and didn't slow him down. No real reason to doubt the other knee; it was a relatively minor injury.

But still, I think the guess of 10% for Melo is about right.

_________________
You can't see me because of internet.

The landowner effectively owns part shares in millions of part-time slaves called, "taxpayers." -Roy L
A Personal Relationship with Jesus?

We don't know how long he can play without suffering another season-ending injury.

Even before the ACL tear he missed a lot of games due to tendonitis.

_________________

Did he really look "fine" to you in the ten games he played?

_________________
Anybody here seen my old friend Bobby?
Can you tell me where he's gone?
I thought I saw him walkin' up to The Hill
With Elon, Tulsi, and Don

In the world of tier one NBA stars, we are as Avery Johnson said: just another cold midwestern city.

All this buzz is eerily reminiscent of 2010. Of course basketball logic leads one to conclude that Chicago is exponentially better suited to succeed in the postseason, notwithstanding legitimate questions about Rose, just as it was in 2010. But baller/quasi celebrities like Melo, as was already mentioned, typically think outside the confines of basketball logic.

My guess is they strike out again on tier one stars, and instead create buzz around Butler's "growth" this summer and how he's poised to become the player the Bulls have always been denied in free agency. They'll also tout the rookie. This apologist campaign that effectively serves to deflect criticism away from management and ownership's failure to deliver will be led by none other than critical Bulls fan Dan Bernstein.

_________________
Successful calls:

Kyrie Irving will never win anything as a team's alpha: check
T.rubisky is a bust: check
Ben Simmons is a liability: check
The Fields Cult is dumb: double check

2013 CSFMB ROY

Exactly. Between Butler, Rose coming back, the trade for McDermott, and bringing in Mirotic, the Bulls --and Bernstein-- will rationalize ($$$) keeping Boozer.

_________________

Melo is in the building. Wearing a blue suit

_________________
"He is a loathsome, offensive brute
--yet I can't look away."

Tie Color?!?!?!?
TIE COLOR?!?!?!?!?!?

_________________
This is my signature...

You never know how long any player will go before sustaining a year-ending injury. All that can be said is that the knees don't pose any specific concern.

_________________
You can't see me because of internet.

The landowner effectively owns part shares in millions of part-time slaves called, "taxpayers." -Roy L
A Personal Relationship with Jesus?

Physically, yes.

_________________
You can't see me because of internet.

The landowner effectively owns part shares in millions of part-time slaves called, "taxpayers." -Roy L
A Personal Relationship with Jesus?

_________________
"He is a loathsome, offensive brute
--yet I can't look away."

WIFE

_________________
"That's what the internet is for. Slandering others anonymously." Banky
“Been that way since one monkey looked at the sun and told the other monkey ‘He said for you to give me your fuckin’ share.’”

_________________
GOB: "My God, what is this feeling?"
Michael: "Could it be love?"
GOB: "I know what an erection feels like, Michael. No, it's the opposite. It's... it's like my heart is getting hard."