Reports Carmelo Anthony could sign with the Chicago Bulls this offseason are nothing new. Even Melo has stoked the flames of the rumors.
But most published work on the subject has focused on where Melo desires to play.
Sure, by trading Luol Deng for Andrew Bynum and draft picks, the Bulls signaled a greater interest in 2014 free agency. There just haven’t been as concrete reports they wanted Melo.
Until now.
Chris Broussard of ESPN:Over All-Star weekend, I’m told by a person with knowledge of the conversation, that Joakim Noah recruited Carmelo.
Now, you’ll probably hear denials out of Chicago if they talk about it, because it would be tampering, officially.
But I’m told that Joakim said to Melo, “Look, you can go to Los Angeles. But if you want to win a ring, if you want your legacy to be about winning, come to Chicago.”
Melo, I’m told, said, “Look, I’ve been watching you guys. I admire how hard you play. I admire how hungry you are. Oh, and by the way, my son’s favorite player: Derrick Rose.”
Perhaps, Noah was acting on his own, but that would surprise me. I would think he’d know the Bulls have an interest – if not a full-blown desire – in signing Melo.
So, he reportedly took steps to help make that more plausible if the Bulls want to go that route.
Legal steps?
By the letter of the law, no. By precedent, absolutely.
The NBA inconsistently punishes teams for tampering, so who knows what the league would do if it found these Noah-Melo conversations took place? Most likely, the NBA won’t want to find anything and won’t investigate.
But if the NBA confirmed Broussard’s report and punished the Bulls, it would be a complete injustice. How is this any different than Chandler Parsons texting Dwight Howard daily before free agency began last summer?
Assuming the Bulls stay clear of the league office, they must clear even bigger obstacles to get Melo. They’d likely have to amnesty Carlos Boozer and trade Taj Gibson – unless they can convince Melo to accept less than a max contract.
Joakim Noah might be convincing, but I doubt he’s that convincing.