Melo #14- Can Melo Come Out and Play?

[DanTown8587]

The Gasol move is perplexing because if you have any faith in Mirotic, he'd be the guy you sign. So Gasol to me is a guy they'd sign after hopefully trading Mirotic with Boozer to NY for Anthony.

While I understand the "Phil has said no to any S&T", he's not stupid. He'd take on a year of Boozers salary to get a prospect like Mirotic if Anthony was leaving regardless.


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[Chitownbulls]

You get Melo an Pau....people won't even care about Taj.

[fleet]

Trade Taj to get Melo? I'll believe when I see it. Ain't happening.

If Taj is so great how come we started Boozer over him all last year?

Don't get me wrong Taj *is* pretty great, but Melo + Gasol is much greater still.

It's not something we need to even execute ideally, just to have lined up to do. At that point, checkmate on Phil.

We get Taj and Melo.

I'm not saying they shouldn't, I'm saying they won't with the way they included him in their pitch to Melo. You just don't bring in a guy to help pitch Melo and then trade him.

"Hey Melo, come to Chicago it'll be great. So good that I'll leave if I have to."

If Taj wasn't a part of the pitch Id say sure, they'd be willing to move him. No way it's happening now.

exactly. Not happening

[PaKii94]

so guys any updates since the number theory? how did melo's laker visit go/is going?

[RememberLu]

You get Melo an Pau....people won't even care about Taj.

Noah might care

[Rerisen]

I'm not saying they shouldn't, I'm saying they won't with the way they included him in their pitch to Melo. You just don't bring in a guy to help pitch Melo and then trade him.

"Hey Melo, come to Chicago it'll be great. So good that I'll leave if I have to."

If Taj wasn't a part of the pitch Id say sure, they'd be willing to move him. No way it's happening now.

Lin wasn't at the meeting. Taj was.

If bringing him to the meeting made him untouchable, then the FO out-thought themselves.

Or are just satisfied that the max Melo can get in a worst case to threaten the Knicks is about 17m.

Which imo, actually lessens the chance of making our best case offseason actually come true.

[PaKii94]

That Melo would be okay with any amount the Bulls can offer, whether it's with cap space of a S&T.

I think you're missing an important part of that sentence - 'if he chooses the Bulls'. If he's choosing the Bulls, then hes clearly okay with what they've offered him - because if he's not, then he's not going to choose the Bulls.

Why can't he "choose the Bulls at $20+ million starting salary"? If he chooses the Bulls, I don't know if that necessarily means he is willing to play at a starting salary of $16 million. That's why I said none of us could possibly know. If he will take a starting salary of $16 million, then the last 14 threads here and handful of threads on the Knicks board will be moot - it would be logical to say he'd be a Bull. However, if the Bulls are offering that type of deal, and the Knicks are truly offering a max (or near max), then I don't see Melo passing that up. The Bulls certainly have a better chance of winning in the next 2 years, but beyond that we could call it equal. Plus if Rose continues to have knee problems, then Melo is in the same offensive predicament that he has found himself in with the Knicks - joining a team that struggled to score 70 points a game vs the Wizards in the post season. I have no doubts that Chicago presents a better opportunity for the short term, but to convince Melo it's a better option longterm, I personally believe it will take a lot more than a contract starting at $16 million. But that's my opinion, and that's why I said none of us could possibly know for sure what his demands are and what the Bulls told him.

lol see, this board is saying the same thing i was saying in the melo page on ur board

[Rerisen]

The Gasol move is perplexing because if you have any faith in Mirotic, he'd be the guy you sign.

But the goal here is first and foremost to get Melo on board. He supposedly wants Gibson here for him to come.

But if that's not possible, good chance he knows and has confidence in Pau Gasol with two rings, well beyond some kid he probably can't even pronounce his name.

If that means we delay Mirotic for another year to get Melo, we probably do it.

[KeithBoothfan]

that always trips me out though. Thats like Pau Gasol almost literally giving Melo 3 million dollars (assuming Pau can get the full amount elsewhere.) That amazes me.

He's already said he will take less to win. But is looking for the best combination of money and winning.

He does seem to like Melo though, as apparently LA just getting Anthony would make him comeback there. And that's all they'd have beside grandpa Kobe and Randle.

So follows he should be ecstatic to join a Melo Bulls version team.

question is, how are the Bulls selling this Gasol idea to Taj and Melo?

To Taj: "Don't worry, we want you to recruit Teusday. We'll offer him cap space, keep the team together."
To Melo (Taj is out of the room): "Don't worry, that cap space deal we just told you about? We have a plan B. Know any tall Spanish power forwards?"

Honestly though, how can Taj know about this? Answer, he can't know, otherwise why would he be a part of his possible demise as a Bull? Pretty sneaky. And I'm not sure I buy it being considered seriously for that reason. Its pretty sneaky and kind of dirty dealing your guy, who you like.

Teams have to give up guys they like for guys they like even more on a regular basis. I think the Bulls want to keep Taj very badly, but I'm not convinced they'll refuse to deal him if that's the only roadblock to landing Carmelo. But FWIW, I suggested the other day that the FO may have even discussed the various scenarios with Taj ahead of time and got him to agree to recruit even with the hopefully remote, but real, possibility he could be dealt, and was declared mentally incompetent by a bunch of people, so take my ramblings with a grain of salt.

[MrFortune3]

The Gasol move is perplexing because if you have any faith in Mirotic, he'd be the guy you sign. So Gasol to me is a guy they'd sign after hopefully trading Mirotic with Boozer to NY for Anthony.

While I understand the "Phil has said no to any S&T", he's not stupid. He'd take on a year of Boozers salary to get a prospect like Mirotic if Anthony was leaving regardless.


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I cannot for the life of me understand this line of thinking. Bulls fans have been screaming for the Bulls to go all in and get some top tier talent for years.
Now we are going all out for a Melo and Pau summer and people are complaining about "fits" and disagreeing about the players because we already in their minds have a starter there.
Melo is a upgrade at SF to Jimmy or anyone else we have on the roster. Pau is a upgrade at PF to Boozer and Taj or anyone we have on the roster.

I fail to see a issue. Taj is best in a 6th man role.
We are trying to win a damn championship. Screw all this nonsense about needing to put resources on a wing or etc. Pau is a top notch player and fits a need as well.

[Hans Embiid]

You get Melo an Pau....people won't even care about Taj.

Noah might care

Noah is also gone if there is a deal for a better player in store.

[DanTown8587]

The other guy i could see Chicago dangle for Anthony is Jimmy Butler. Not at the pitch and due a likely large deal next summer.


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[RememberLu]

You get Melo an Pau....people won't even care about Taj.

Noah might care

Noah is also gone if there is a deal for a better player in store.

Now we're just like Morey, wheelin' and dealin'

[fleet]

I'm not saying they shouldn't, I'm saying they won't with the way they included him in their pitch to Melo. You just don't bring in a guy to help pitch Melo and then trade him.

"Hey Melo, come to Chicago it'll be great. So good that I'll leave if I have to."

If Taj wasn't a part of the pitch Id say sure, they'd be willing to move him. No way it's happening now.

Lin wasn't at the meeting. Taj was.

If bringing him to the meeting made him untouchable, then the FO out-thought themselves.

Or are just satisfied that the max Melo can get in a worst case to threaten the Knicks is about 17m.

Which imo, actually lessens the chance of making our best case offseason actually come true.

If bringing him to the meeting meant a change in plans, they would never have brought him. The plan was the plan. He was already untouchable

[WinCity]

I'm not saying they shouldn't, I'm saying they won't with the way they included him in their pitch to Melo. You just don't bring in a guy to help pitch Melo and then trade him.

"Hey Melo, come to Chicago it'll be great. So good that I'll leave if I have to."

If Taj wasn't a part of the pitch Id say sure, they'd be willing to move him. No way it's happening now.

Lin wasn't at the meeting. Taj was.

If bringing him to the meeting made him untouchable, then the FO out-thought themselves.

Or are just satisfied that the max Melo can get in a worst case to threaten the Knicks is about 17m.

Which imo, actually lessens the chance of making our best case offseason actually come true.

This is exactly why. I felt Noah did us a disservice by demanding Taasj not be dealt as a condition of his recruiting Melo. However according to KC Melo also demanded Taj stay as a condition of his coming here.

[Stratmaster]

I'm not saying they shouldn't, I'm saying they won't with the way they included him in their pitch to Melo. You just don't bring in a guy to help pitch Melo and then trade him.

"Hey Melo, come to Chicago it'll be great. So good that I'll leave if I have to."

If Taj wasn't a part of the pitch Id say sure, they'd be willing to move him. No way it's happening now.

Lin wasn't at the meeting. Taj was.

If bringing him to the meeting made him untouchable, then the FO out-thought themselves.

Or are just satisfied that the max Melo can get in a worst case to threaten the Knicks is about 17m.

Which imo, actually lessens the chance of making our best case offseason actually come true.

Or, the front office truly is unwilling to part with Taj. While I think that is foolish, it would fit in with the assertions by many here that Taj is all-star material as a starter.

It may be possible they know Mirotic isn't coming over, they know it would be a PR disaster to bring Boozer back, and they are unwilling to part with Taj, even for Melo, because it plugs one hole to open another?

[MrFortune3]

You get Melo an Pau....people won't even care about Taj.

Noah might care

Noah is also gone if there is a deal for a better player in store.

We wouldn't include him in a deal for Aldridge, Love & etc. As I said before. The players that would make the Bulls deal him are never going to be traded.

[DroppinDimes]

question is, how are the Bulls selling this Gasol idea to Taj and Melo?

To Taj: "Don't worry, we want you to recruit Teusday. We'll offer him cap space, keep the team together."
To Melo (Taj is out of the room): "Don't worry, that cap space deal we just told you about? We have a plan B. Know any tall Spanish power forwards?"

Honestly though, how can Taj know about this? Answer, he can't know, otherwise why would he be a part of his possible demise as a Bull? Pretty sneaky. And I'm not sure I buy it being considered seriously for that reason. Its pretty sneaky and kind of dirty dealing your guy, who you like.

The landscape changes by the minute. Everyone knew that if Melo wants close to max that it would only be possible by getting rid of Taj. I'm sure Taj is fully aware of the possibility. It's clear to everyone that the Bulls don't have the money available to sign this guy outright without him taking a significant paycut. I'm sure the Bulls tried to sell Melo the idea of taking less and keeping a guy like Taj and that's why Taj was part of the pitch but I'm also sure the Bulls understood that might not be feasible and a potential trade including Taj to free up cap space may need to be explored. It's a business.

The Bulls don't want to trade Taj but if you can get Melo and Pau by moving him, you have to do it.

[Hans Embiid]

Noah might care

Noah is also gone if there is a deal for a better player in store.

Now we're just like Morey, wheelin' and dealin'

Nobody is safe bro its the NBA.

If we get Melo+Pau nobody will care about Gibson and Mirotic.

[RememberLu]

Noah is also gone if there is a deal for a better player in store.

Now we're just like Morey, wheelin' and dealin'

Nobody is safe bro its the NBA.

If we get Melo+Pau nobody will care about Gibson and Mirotic.

I don't know about some of you guys but I've always been really excited at the prospect of Noah + Taj front court both starting on this team. Thats why I'm not as eager as some of you about sending Taj (or Noah) away. That's a beast tandem and all we've ever really needed is an upgrade on the perimeter.