Jimmy Butler and Carmelo Anthony (Photo : Getty Images)
The Chicago Bulls could be the host to the team-up of two veteran stars in Carmelo Anthony and Dwyane Wade, but considering such move could them Jimmy Butler.
It is intriguing to see what the Bulls' current lineup could do this season. The summer signings of Rajon Rondo and Dwyane Wade, and trading for Michael Carter-Williams before the season starts have given Chicago a breath of fresh scenery after moving on from Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah, but their new lineup also shows an awkward combination of heavy-isolation potentials and lack of legit outside threats.
If Chicago's reconstructed roster does not yield them good results this season, a midseason trade could be a possibility. New York Knicks star Carmelo Anthony has emerged as a potential trade target for the Bulls, but doing so would likely cost them Butler, who has become the face of the franchise in the past few seasons.
According to Maurice Peebles of Complex Sports, trading Butler could be an option if the Bulls continue not to make any logical sense for their team-building strategies.
"The Bulls get to pair two of the Superfriends together in Melo and Wade. They get rid of the last semblance of shooting left on the roster in McDermott, thus becoming the complete antithesis of the Warriors," Peebles wrote.
Both Wade and Rondo are aging veterans and have their respective history of injuries, while Carter-Williams's lack of shooting could further complicate the Bulls' offense. Trading Butler and McDermott, as proposed in the trade scenario, may not help at all, especially for another aging star in Anthony.
Likewise, it would be highly unlikely for the Knicks to trade Anthony, who has a no-trade clause in his contract. But there is no real chance for Anthony to win a title in New York unless another blockbuster deal happens, not on a team filled with injury-prone veterans.
Joining Wade in Chicago also doesn't guarantee Anthony a better chance to win a championship, but it could be a start for the Bulls to host not only the team-up of Anthony and Wade, but also the remaining members of the Superfriends, Chris Paul and LeBron James.
Meanwhile, the Knicks get a young All-Star in Butler, whom they could pair alongside Kristaps Porzingis. Butler gets to reunite with Rose and Noah and could produce better outputs playing under Jeff Hornacek.
Would the Bulls and Knicks consider this trade? Probably not. But anything can happen in the NBA, especially if both teams fail to live up their expectations this season.
Video courtesy: YouTube/FreeDawkins
