Carmelo Anthony is widely expected to opt out of his contract Monday and become a free agent. The Chicago Bulls are said to be one of the teams he’s most strongly considering, and it sounds like the interest from the Bulls is equally strong.
In fact, reports say Tom Thibodeau, who is not exactly a rah-rah kind of coach, has been actively recruiting ‘Melo.
The Chicago Sun-Times says Thibodeau has used back channels to express to Anthony what he thinks the forward could do for the team. Thibs also reportedly has been doing his homework by calling many of Anthony’s former coaches.
The obvious question about ‘Melo joining the Bulls is whether he’ll fit in with the team’s defense. Thibodeau relies upon strong and active defense from his players; ‘Melo doesn’t always give the best effort on that end of the floor. Thibodeau reportedly believes he can get Anthony to do what they need.
In addition to Thibodeau, Joakim Noah reportedly has been working hard since the All-Star break to convince ‘Melo to join the team. Given all the reports coming from Chicago, nobody should be surprised if Chicago lands the Knicks star.
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