Rajon Rondo said he believes Carmelo Anthony is the “missing piece’’ for the Bulls and even threw the Celtics’ hat into the ring for the likely soon-to-be free agent.
“I hate to say it, but he just might be [the missing piece],’’ Rondo said on ESPN’s Numbers Never Lie. “[The Bulls] have a great center in Joakim Noah who holds down the paint and one of the best pick-and-roll defenders in our league. And with Derrick Rose coming back, you have a Big Three in Chicago. Melo could be the missing piece, but if he does a move like that, we’ll have to figure out something in Boston.’’
Rondo, the Celtics’ point guard, has been linked to the Knicks, as he’ll be a free agent in 2015 and has high school ties with Anthony. But Rondo hinted at the Celtics trying to put Anthony in a shamrock-green uniform — which would seem highly unlikely. Celtics president Danny Ainge could have draft pawns to pull off a sign-and-trade with the Knicks, but Anthony always has had a distaste for Boston and the Celtics seem far from being title contenders.
However, Rondo said: “You never know what Danny’s capable of doing. I can’t tell you too much. We want to turn it around next year. Danny has a lot of wiggle room the past couple of years with what he’s done in the draft. Hopefully [Anthony] won’t go to Chicago.
“I think after we try to get Melo and add an additional piece, who knows? The sky’s the limit. I play to try to win a championship every year. With Melo, I think it’s very possible.”
During Anthony’s recent meeting with Knicks president Phil Jackson, coach Derek Fisher and general manager Steve Mills in Los Angeles, he restated his intention of opting out at Monday’s deadline, according to an NBA source. The Post reported, citing a source, the Knicks considered it a “good meeting’’ and liked their odds of retaining Anthony.
If Anthony leaves the Knicks via free agency, the Bulls seem the favorites, but their salary-cap situation still is the biggest obstacle. They are well over the cap. Anthony’s advisers would love for him to join Chicago coach Tom Thibodeau, also a Creative Arists Agency client.
But how would the Bulls do it? They could amnesty Carlos Boozer and trade Taj Gibson without getting salary back and still be just a little shy of cap space to make a competitive offer. That would mean they also would be unable to sign former first-round draft pick Nikola Mirotic out of Europe.
Bulls GM Gar Forman told The Chicago Tribune he may try to trade both of his 2014 first-round picks in order to save on cap space. There’s a chance Forman will try to entice Jackson into a sign-and-trade and have the Knicks take Boozer. The Knicks would only do so if they felt Anthony could be lost without compensation and sign with another team under the cap, such as the Mavericks.
For his part, Anthony called the Jackson summit “a great meeting’’ at a Manhattan appearance Tuesday, adding, “I like what Phil is doing.’’
Rondo’s potential 2015 free agency would be a drawing card for Anthony to stay put, because the Knicks will have the cap space next summer. Can Anthony still win in New York?
“You never know with Derek Fisher as the coach,’’ Rondo said. “You never know who they can bring in. There’s still a possibility.’’