Net Dreams

Update - 7/14/14: Well, that was uneventful. I guess everyone who follows the NBA knows where Carmelo's loyalty lies (and I'm not talking about NYC). Now I hope that Gasol and his championship experience (along with McBuckets and Mirotic) can still overtake the Cavs. (I'm not worried about the Knicks as a threat. For a while, anyhow.)

Here’s my take on Derrick Rose and the Carmelo Anthony sweepstakes. If Derrick throws his hat in the ring and recruits, and Carmelo doesn’t end up here, then Rose loses. There are so many factors beyond whether the two stars can get along that it seems silly that it’s an issue whether he is involved in the pitch or not.

I don’t remember Carmelo Anthony being voted MVP of the league, so it’s even more odd to think that a former MVP would need to plea with another player to help him. LeBron didn’t exactly do that – he worked with Wade, Bosh, and the Heat to get what he wanted. I’m not sure why there’s this expectation of Rose to do a song and dance. His presence at a pitch meeting seems pretty low on the list of reasons why Carmelo might come here. 

Further, there’s a reasonable chance that Rose recruits heavily but then never plays another game in the NBA. His health is probably the biggest unknown in this entire situation. If he doesn't come back at elite player status, then the Bulls are saddled with his salary and another huge contract with Melo, relinquishing any hope of adding or changing other good players. They'd be stuck for a few years. *

The simple take, in my eyes, is whether Carmelo Anthony is more driven by long-term financial security or his legacy as a player. Neither Los Angeles nor New York seem like they're on the verge of a championship; Chicago offers him the best opportunity to win in the 2014/2015 season. If it's even somewhat about the money, then he might as well stay in NY and help the Knicks try to get his hometown a championship. 

While most people would take that cash grab and try to rebuild, I think he's already done that when he left the Nuggets in the past. He's got the money already (and he's not looking at playing for free, either), so I could see him being enticed to try to win a title at this stage in his career. Besides, if he wins a title in Chicago, his endorsements could make up for any contract deficit, and probably exceed it.

I hope he gets to the Bulls without turning them into the Knicks (trading away too much talent to get him) and being hamstrung by his contract for years to come.

* - I don't think Rose is soft, but I definitely think he's accident/injury-prone. One of the first stories I remember hearing about him when he was a rookie was an accident with a knife, where he couldn't practice and almost severed tendons. (http://www.nbcchicago.com/news/sports/Roses-Thorn-is-a-Knife.html)