Fansided

Bulls need to resist the temptation to trade for Carmelo Anthony

By Rucker Haringey

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK - APRIL 25: Carmelo Anthony #7 of the Oklahoma City Thunder pushes Rudy Gobert #27 of the Utah Jazz during game 5 of the Western Conference playoffs at the Chesapeake Energy Arena on April 25, 2018 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by J Pat Carter/Getty Images)
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK - APRIL 25: Carmelo Anthony #7 of the Oklahoma City Thunder pushes Rudy Gobert #27 of the Utah Jazz during game 5 of the Western Conference playoffs at the Chesapeake Energy Arena on April 25, 2018 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by J Pat Carter/Getty Images) /
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The Chicago Bulls wouldn’t trade for Carmelo Anthony for his skills on the floor, but rather for the draft assets that would accompany him. 

The Chicago Bulls’ decision to ship Jerian Grant to Orlando in a three-team deal Saturday opens up an interesting but dangerous possibility for the Bulls front office. It gives the team a small window of time where it will have enough cap space to trade for Carmelo Anthony.

The Thunder have already made the decision to part ways with the former Syracuse star, but the team hasn’t decided just how to do it as of yet. The most likely scenario for Sam Presti and company would be to buy out or stretch the former All-Star. Of course, their ideal scenario would be to find a trade partner willing and able to take on Anthony’s massive contract.

Assuming the Bulls decide to waive Julyan Stone, they can amass $29 million in open cap space for this season. Of course, $10 million of that space will disappear when the team matches the Kings’ restricted free agency offer for Zach LaVine on Sunday. That means any deal for Anthony would have to happen today.

Just because Chicago have enough space to swing a deal for Carmelo doesn’t mean it’s something it should do. The Thunder want to get rid of Anthony by any means necessary for a good reason. He isn’t a good player any longer and he’s being paid like a superstar. Anthony possesses one of the worst contracts in the NBA.

Taking him on would rob the Bulls of their most valuable asset going forward. The team’s ability to take on bad salary should put Chicago in a position to extract valuable trade assets for someone this season. The Thunder could give the Bulls some value in that regard, but they lack the sort of high-value picks that would make acquiring Anthony a risk worth taking.

Even if Oklahoma City was willing to offer two or three first-rounders in the deal, it’s not worth it for Chicago. The presence of Russell Westbrook and Paul George in OKC for years to come makes those picks likely to come in at the 20s. The Bulls should be shooting for lottery picks instead.

Next: Bulls move quickly to repair LaVine relationship

The Bulls front office will be tempted to utilize their $10 million in cap space today before it disappears, but it shouldn’t be spent on bringing Carmelo Anthony to the Windy City. That’s too hefty a price for a team working hard to rebuild.

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