Talk about a fall from grace.
Carmelo Anthony’s 2017-18 season in Oklahoma City was a disaster, and he’s been not-so-steadily declining ever since he won the scoring title back in 2013. He turns 35 this upcoming season and the Thunder are desperately trying to unload him via trade after he opted into his $28M player option.
Renowned NBA insider Marc Stein suggests that the Bulls could very well be the team to take on that salary.
A trade that could send Carmelo Anthony to Chicago — with Cristiano Feliciano going to Oklahoma City — is now at least mathematically feasible. Check out a series of tweets from @albertnahmad for the full salary-cap explanation
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) July 13, 2018
The thread he is referring to:
My thinking (however flawed): You don’t withdraw a $1.7M QO to a player you like (Nwaba) unless you need that specific cap room for something planned. Doing it takes Bulls to $20M. Who’s dumping expiring $20M? Nobody. But Melo makes $28M and Felicio $8M…https://t.co/xRVORCbiWZ
— Albert Nahmad (@AlbertNahmad) July 13, 2018
Thunder would get cheaper alternative to a Carmelo stretch (particularly if no buyout), realize $100M in luxury tax savings in 2018-19, and could trade Felicio (then 2/$16M) into what’ll be tons of cap room around NBA next summer or stretch if not (likely wouldn’t stretch now).
— Albert Nahmad (@AlbertNahmad) July 13, 2018
Having Carmelo Anthony around this young Bulls group wouldn’t do them any good, but that’s not the point. By staying below the salary cap, the Bulls could buyout Anthony’s contract, just like they did this past season with Dwyane Wade’s deal, without having to exercise the stretch provision (which means Melo’s money comes off the books entirely after this season.)
In order to agree to this, the Bulls would likely want the Thunder to do more than just take on Cristiano Felicio’s bad contract. The Thunder could sweeten the deal with a 1st-round pick.
Due to the NBA’s strange rule that doesn’t allow teams to trade their own 1st-round picks in consecutive seasons, and the fact that the Thunder have already traded their 2020 1st-rounder to the Magic, the best pick they have to trade to the Bulls is their 2022 1st-rounder.
Considering where the Bulls currently stand, why not use their surplus of cap space to not only add a future pick (one that could end up being in the high lottery) but also get rid of their worst contract in Cristiano Felicio’s? Taking on Melo’s salary and buying him out costs the Bulls nothing for the summer of 2019 and beyond, retaining Felicio does.
It might be four years too late, and he likely won’t ever play a game for the Bulls, but the Bulls should finally pull the trigger and “add” Carmelo Anthony.
