Melo 15: The End Is Nigh

[chitowndish]

Oh wow - did Woj really report that?? What a tool if Melo did that.

Yeah here's the article:

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/carmelo-an ... 46550.html

LOS ANGELES – Hours before his final meeting with New York Knicks officials, free agent Carmelo Anthony reached out to obtain free agent Pau Gasol's phone number and discuss with him the possibility of playing together at Madison Square Garden, league sources told Yahoo Sports.

Thanks much. Best case is the Knicks are still in the running. Worst case, he's already decided or close to deciding it's the Knicks. Which would be what many of us have said all along, talk is cheap.

You're welcome, I guess the good news is the pitch may not have gone all that well since Pau is looking at the Bulls Heat and Thunder I guess. If he brushes off the Knicks that may drive the point home to Melo. I guess the bad news is Pau is looking at the Heat!

[MalikJoakim24]

I'm somewhat irritated today. We did a better job with this recruiting pitch this year, but I think we miscalculated again. Taj Gibson should not have been at the meeting. He should have been positioned as a potential candidate for a trade. A Rose/Butler/Melo/Noah is a strong place to start.

Reports said Melo wanted him to be there and doesn't want Taj to be traded if he comes to the Bulls.

[PJ Brown]

One thing that I've taken from this whole Melo saga is that K.C. Johnson's tweets are worthless.

RT

KC has been garbage during this whole thing. Friedell actually stepped up the plate and we gotta give him props for that.

All Nick did was read a few twitter accounts of actual NBA journalists and write a summary, nothing that any of us couldn't have done, and certainly nothing that makes him an actual beat writer.

[bentheredengthat]

This thread is moving too fast, cant keep up with anything

Honestly, besides the entertaining Bulls board banter, it's 90% froth.

We almost need an "actual Melo developments" thread.

Some of us actually have to do work at work you know.

[joshcxa]

[tweet]https://twitter.com/BullsBlogger/status/484891734405439488[/tweet]

I know Bulls plan was 'take less', but man actually seeing terms and trying to think from Melo's standpoint, it's just not that convincing.

[tweet]https://twitter.com/BullsBlogger/status/484891999741304833[/tweet]

I am still keeping sliver of hope that he'll put faith in the Bulls roster, but that is still a huge leap.

Melo called our presentation "tremendous."

Maybe if they discussed hard numbers it would have been spectacular?

The numbers they'd discuss would not be spectacular.

[BR0D1E86]

Dont really want Mirotic. Would prefer McDermott. MDJ is gett old. Snell is a bum. At best an average 3 d player.

Thats a pretty terrible offer honestly. I think Bulls fans think they will sign him outright which isnt going to happen.


But thanks for being the only person to actually answer my question.

Wow he only gave you one first rounder? Lol
I thought itd be more like this:

Boozer
2015 1st (and 2nd?)
2017 1st (and 2nd?)
SAC pick
Snell
Mirotic or mcdermott (not both)
And mdj

Id accept that deal. Whether or not it was Mirotic or Mcdermott. But i would prefer MCD. And if i had to take Mirotic, i would want Bairstow in the deal. Or maybe just ask for him in general, idk what his value is.

You should take that deal, because it's absolutely absurd.

[Michael Jackson]

Here is where you are getting confused. You're assuming the injuries have made him a lesser player physically when the ACL did not do that and the meniscus isn't going to do that (Westbrook). Yes he was rusty and he probably will be to start next season but that goes away as you play. Not being as quick, lacking elevation those are sign of past injuries taking a toll. People have to stop confusing rust with actual physically diminished skills which is what you've done.

I missed the first part. When have injuries in sports not diminished a player? Adrian Peterson perhaps. Some come back no doubt. Derricks game is pretty psychical though. Minimal play in three years is as I said kinda new ground. It has gotten better medically without a doubt. That being said though why wouldn't Melo question it?

Look no further than baseball and Stephen Strasburg who had Tommy John surgery which like an ACL decades before it was considered a career ending injury. Now players get the surgery and they comeback throwing harder than they were before initially being injured. Tim Hardaway and Bardon Davis both played well after tearing their ACL's the difference between those two and Derrick is he isn't going to let himself get out shape like the other guys. Again your confusing rust (not being in sync and playing) with the actual loss of physical ability. Yes he missed a lot of time and he will be rusty but you make it seem like he will have totally forgot how to play ball at the highest level.

I agree with the tommy john but that has a lot of evidence in providing a stronger arm. I think Derrick will break the acl mode in that regard but it is still a question.

[PMONSTER]

@ESPNSteinLine: Joakim Noah and the Bulls were in LA to court Pau Gasol today. Pat Riley and Erik Spoelstra are up next. Yesterday it was KD and Westbrook


Sent from my iPhone using RealGM Forums

No way Jo was recruiting Pau to take Taj's spot. Gotta be after him for the MLE as our 3rd big and as another piece to help woo Melo.

Taj: I'll go out to LA to recruit Pau
Jo: ........
Taj: um Jo

[MrFortune3]

I'm curious, where does it say that the Bulls will not clear room to either sign him outright or S&T so that Melo can get his money?

Most sources say the Bulls said they would clear room but for some reason that is taken to mean they refuse to maneuver to give him the max if needed.

[MalikJoakim24]

Man, Jo has been a real trooper with all his involvement in the recruiting process. Hopefully he starts and ends his career as a Bull, not just because he has recruited for us, but just due to his devoted commitment to this franchise. Other players may come and go, but hopefully he stays and has his jersey retired as a Bull.

Me and my buddy were actually discussing this on the way back from basketball earlier tonight. We honestly never thought that Noah would turn from that guy during the draft to the DPOY... That Boston series really made him change because he was so weak before and just an energy guy and especially I remember he got suspended by the team.

Guy is a class act and bleeds Chicago (even if he's not from here).

[the ultimates]

I'm somewhat irritated today. We did a better job with this recruiting pitch this year, but I think we miscalculated again. Taj Gibson should not have been at the meeting. He should have been positioned as a potential candidate for a trade. A Rose/Butler/Melo/Noah is a strong place to start.

In not providing an option for max cap space, to some extent (arguable, I know), we once again made the organization mistake of not being willing to trade a lesser player for a star (such as Deng for Gasol, Deng for Kobe). We've done this before, and it's just not cool.

And, while I'm complaining, why are we continuing to look at other SF like Ariza? Right now, we have three talented SF types on the roster: Butler, Dunleavy, McDermott. If not Melo, why not try to pry a talented shooting guard away from another team with cap space (Boozer amnesty) and other assets?

The Deng/Kobe trade misconception needs to die. Kobe wanted to be traded to the Bulls in part to play with Deng. The Lakers would not make the trade if Deng was not included. Kobe also had a no trade clause so the Bulls weren't going to trade Deng knowing Kobe would veto the deal.

[Darius Miles Davis]

I'm somewhat irritated today. We did a better job with this recruiting pitch this year, but I think we miscalculated again. Taj Gibson should not have been at the meeting. He should have been positioned as a potential candidate for a trade. A Rose/Butler/Melo/Noah is a strong place to start.

Reports said Melo wanted him to be there and doesn't want Taj to be traded if he comes to the Bulls.

Reports also say that Melo wants the max or at least wants more than 15 mil per year. So yet again, we were in what is looking like a no-win situation unless we were creative enough to get someone to take Booz.

[r1terrell23]

[tweet]https://twitter.com/BullsBlogger/status/484891734405439488[/tweet]

I know Bulls plan was 'take less', but man actually seeing terms and trying to think from Melo's standpoint, it's just not that convincing.

[tweet]https://twitter.com/BullsBlogger/status/484891999741304833[/tweet]

I am still keeping sliver of hope that he'll put faith in the Bulls roster, but that is still a huge leap.

Melo called our presentation "tremendous."

Yet some posters are keen to throw the FO under the bus. We can't hold a gun to their head and make them sign a contract.

Maybe there was a reason the Bulls didn't talk money. Had money been brought up maybe it wouldnt have been so tremendous.

[bullsnewdynasty]

Such as? The east is weak enough that a Rose led team with Gasol could make it out of the East.

Besides Mirotic...Parsons? Stephenson? Hayward?

Guys with upside, guys at positions of need with skills the team is lacking. Right now our starting SG/SF are among the worst in the league...let's try to address that rather than replacing an over the hill PF with a marginally better over the hill PF.

Without Melo there is no championship window. In the case the Bulls don't land Melo, their plan should be to continue to add young talent on the rise and stay competitive in the Love talks, not blow their cap space on an aging PF.

Disagree. This is the Eastern Conference. In the West you're 100% right, but the East is just so weak at this point.

Even if the East is weak,

a) Bulls haven't proven they can beat Miami or Indiana in a 7 game series.

b) To win a championship you still have to go through the Western Conference.

c) Hard to call any team led by Rose a championship contender until he shows he can stay on the court and play at his previous level.

[danzou]

Oh wow - did Woj really report that?? What a tool if Melo did that.

Yeah here's the article:

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/carmelo-an ... 46550.html

LOS ANGELES – Hours before his final meeting with New York Knicks officials, free agent Carmelo Anthony reached out to obtain free agent Pau Gasol's phone number and discuss with him the possibility of playing together at Madison Square Garden, league sources told Yahoo Sports.

Thanks much. Best case is the Knicks are still in the running. Worst case, he's already decided or close to deciding it's the Knicks. Which would be what many of us have said all along, talk is cheap.

Back in 2010 Lebron tried to convince Bosh and/or Wade to join him in Cleveland. When that didn't work he bolted for greener pastures

[Sonny_D1]

Melo called our presentation "tremendous."

Maybe if they discussed hard numbers it would have been spectacular?

The numbers they'd discuss would not be spectacular.

Agreed. That's why they didn't discuss numbers and thus it was just tremendous. As in, nice facilities and cool presentation!

[Darius Miles Davis]

I'm somewhat irritated today. We did a better job with this recruiting pitch this year, but I think we miscalculated again. Taj Gibson should not have been at the meeting. He should have been positioned as a potential candidate for a trade. A Rose/Butler/Melo/Noah is a strong place to start.

In not providing an option for max cap space, to some extent (arguable, I know), we once again made the organization mistake of not being willing to trade a lesser player for a star (such as Deng for Gasol, Deng for Kobe). We've done this before, and it's just not cool.

And, while I'm complaining, why are we continuing to look at other SF like Ariza? Right now, we have three talented SF types on the roster: Butler, Dunleavy, McDermott. If not Melo, why not try to pry a talented shooting guard away from another team with cap space (Boozer amnesty) and other assets?

The Deng/Kobe trade misconception needs to die. Kobe wanted to be traded to the Bulls in part to play with Deng. The Lakers would not make the trade if Deng was not included. Kobe also had a no trade clause so the Bulls weren't going to trade Deng knowing Kobe would veto the deal.

It's always something with us though. Very frustrating.

[theanimal23]

Expect a trade tomorrow! Not Taj.

First off, thank you for your input and sharing this info.

Secondly, it's a holiday. I'm assuming we hear break out of a potential Boozer deal, with the league approving it on Monday?

[Betta Bulleavit]

[tweet]https://twitter.com/BullsBlogger/status/484891734405439488[/tweet]

I know Bulls plan was 'take less', but man actually seeing terms and trying to think from Melo's standpoint, it's just not that convincing.

[tweet]https://twitter.com/BullsBlogger/status/484891999741304833[/tweet]

I am still keeping sliver of hope that he'll put faith in the Bulls roster, but that is still a huge leap.

Melo called our presentation "tremendous."

Maybe if they discussed hard numbers it would have been spectacular?

Maybe it's difficult to discuss hard numbers when there are multiple directions that the team could go about acquiring him. NY made a max offer because they don't have any contingencies to worry about. Same with the Lakers. The Bulls, Rockets and Mavs didn't have that luxury. Hence the reason why we haven't heard about a hard offer from either of them either.

[Tetlak]

HOLY ****!!!! Melo carried through with his visits to the Lakers, Knicks, Rockets, and Mavs!!! Its as if these visits were scheduled before he first visited the Bulls...PREPOSTEROUS, that is impossible!!! WAIT...WHAT?? THEY OFFERED HIM MAX CONTRACTS???? WHOEVER WOULD HAVE GUESSED!? There is absolutely no way we have any chance now, we could not have seen those max offers coming. DAMN YOU GARPAX, WHY WERE YOU SO UNPREPARED????

Sums up this board, and its driving me crazy. This thread is flat out embarrassing. What new or unexpected information has come out that we didn't know multiple weeks ago? None. I'm sorry, if you are suddenly calling it quits after riding so **** high after our 9 hour visit with Melo because you did not expect him to actually be courted by lesser teams, and are so threatened that you have abandoned all hope, then please stop posting and make the Chicago Bulls RealGM world a better place for a few days until the actual decision is made. Thanks.