NBA Rumors 2014: Chicago Bulls unlikely to amnesty Carlos Boozer and give Carmelo Anthony a max contract

The Chicago Bulls continue to be named as a big-time player in the “Carmelo Anthony Free Agent Sweepstakes,” yet their current financial situation could keep them from being a serious contender unless certain moves are made.

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As Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders points out in his latest “NBA AM” column, the team is currently committed to $63.5 million in salary, meaning they’ll have little cap room to work with this offseason. Even if they were able to renounce everything they can, it still wouldn’t be enough to acquire a seven-time All-Star like Anthony.

Sources close to the Bulls organization have said the team won’t be willing to use a one-time amnesty clause on Carlos Boozer ($16.8 million) AND pay Anthony anything close to $100 million, a number he’s likely to get elsewhere.

Even if management did amnesty Boozer, it wouldn’t bring them any closer to the $22.5 million mark. Kyler notes that Mike Dunleavy and his $3.32 million contract could be dealt, but that would leave the team with Anthony, Derrick Rose, Joakim Noah, Taj Gibson and nothing else behind them.

The best-case scenario would be for the team to trade Boozer to the New York Knicks in a deal involving Anthony. Better yet, if Anthony were to sign for $15-16 million a season, that would benefit the Bulls even more. It’s just hard to imagine him leaving so much money on the table.

Anthony would immediately move the Bulls further up the totem pole in the Eastern Conference, but the odds of him landing with the team are becoming slimmer by the day.

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