NBA Rumors: Chicago Bulls A Possible Destination For Carmelo Anthony?

The New York Knicks franchise is going through yet another rough season. Not only is the team struggling to get it together on the floor, and now add the distraction of the recent Charles Oakley incident, but Carmelo Anthony’s days as the team’s star may be coming to an end.

The trade rumors have been swirling about Anthony’s future with the NBA trade deadline less than two weeks away on Feb. 23. Anthony, who has been linked to the Los Angeles Clippers, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Boston Celtics, may have another option in the Chicago Bulls.

Jimmy Butler and Anthony recently spoke on the phone. Although the call wasn’t about potentially recruiting him to the Bulls, Butler did say this about his friend in New York, according to Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times:

“That is half the battle,’’ Butler said about making a player from another team feel appreciated. “And I could still do that. Everybody knows what Carmelo can bring to a team. The dude is a hell of a player.

“But we have some things that we’ve got to worry about here first in the next few weeks [leading into the Feb. 23 trade deadline] before we go down that road.”

The Bulls, much like the Knicks, have failed to live up to expectations this season. Chicago brought in two proven veterans in Dwyane Wade and Rajon Rondo to play alongside Butler this season, but it just hasn’t worked with the Bulls potentially missing the playoffs at season’s end.

With Rondo seemingly being the odd man out, a trade involving the veteran point guard to New York along with other pieces could be enough to lure Anthony to Chicago. The addition of Anthony to the duo of Butler and Wade would be intriguing and possibly a team that could become a legitimate threat in the Eastern Conference.