advertisement

Gasol tweets that he's joining Bulls

Free-agent center Pau Gasol announced via Twitter Saturday that he was looking forward to the "new chapter" of his career in Chicago. He says the choice wasn't easy and he decided on the Bulls "after meditating a lot."

The Bulls received the commitment from Gasol early Saturday but may lose out on Carmelo Anthony.

The Gasol news was first reported by Marca.com in Spain. It suggested a sign-and-trade with the Lakers, but offered no details.

Gasol, who recently turned 34, will give the Bulls another scorer, something they obviously lacked during last season's playoff loss to Washington. The 7-foot power forward has averaged at least 17.4 points in 12 of his 13 NBA seasons. Gasol figures to create a three-man rotation on the inside with Taj Gibson and Joakim Noah.

The Bulls have been trying to find ways to add both Gasol and Anthony but haven't been able to complete any agreement with Anthony. Yahoo.com reported Saturday afternoon that Anthony will accept a five-year, $129-million offer to stay with the New York Knicks later in the day.

If the Bulls miss out on Anthony, they could conceivably use Carlos Boozer or other players in a sign-and-trade with the Lakers. Or they could create cap space by using the amnesty clause on Boozer.

The Bulls are also expected to sign 6-10 sharpshooter Nikola Mirotic soon. He was a 2011 draft pick who plans to execute a contract buyout with Real Madrid so he can play in the NBA next season.

Among other potential moves are re-signing veteran guard Kirk Hinrich and adding another perimeter scorer.

Daily Herald news services contributed to this report.

• Get the latest Bulls news via Twitter by following @McGrawDHBulls.

Article Comments
Guidelines: Keep it civil and on topic; no profanity, vulgarity, slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about tragedies will be blocked. If a comment violates these standards or our terms of service, click the "flag" link in the lower-right corner of the comment box. To find our more, read our FAQ.