Consider the Chicago Bulls the NBA team to watch this offseason.
The team is “actively” looking to upgrade its starting lineup and will do so at “almost any cost,” according to The Chicago Sun Times. Every player not named Derrick Rose could be moved in an effort to improve.
According to several NBA sources Sunday, the Bulls have been actively looking to improve the starting lineup at almost any cost, with Derrick Rose the only untouchable player — and not by choice.
“They are looking to exhaust as many assets as it will take,’’ one source said of general manager Gar Forman and head of basketball operations John Paxson.
Recent reports have indicated that free agent-to-be Carmelo Anthony will be the Bulls’ Plan A. Anthony is expected to opt out of his current deal with the New York Knicks and is heavily considering the Bulls and the Houston Rockets as his next team.
According to Yahoo! Sports, Anthony wants to be on a contender for the 2014-15 season, and winning is his top priority.
Chicago earned the four seed in the Eastern Conference this year, but was bounced out of the first round of the playoffs by the Washington Wizards.
The roster is currently assembled around Rose, who has not played a full season since 2010-11. Joakim Noah is the reigning NBA Defensive Player of the Year. The Bulls hold a team option on Jimmy Butler, while Carlos Boozer is a candidate to be amnestied this summer.
The Bulls may try to acquire Anthony via a sign-and-trade, perhaps dealing Butler or Taj Gibson with some draft picks to New York. Noah reportedly has been recruiting Anthony to Chicago.
If the Bulls strike out in their pursuit of Anthony, the team is expected to amp up its efforts to land Kevin Love. Of course, they’ll keep an eye on LeBron James throughout the process as well.
