Would dealing for Melo make sense for Bulls?
There were people who questioned whether Boston's Big Three of Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen could figure out how to win. Some wondered if Dwyane Wade, LeBron James and Chris Bosh would find enough shots to go around in Miami.
Obviously, both groups won NBA titles, so the doubters (count me as guilty) were wrong.
Now, with increasing evidence that New York Knicks president Phil Jackson would like to trade Carmelo Anthony, should the Bulls get involved and try to create a small-window Big Three of Wade, Anthony, Jimmy Butler?
It's an interesting question. If a trade is possible, would the new lineup even be a winning proposition for the Bulls?
The Anthony trade talks got rolling last month with rumors of him going to Cleveland or the Los Angeles Clippers. Neither potential deal seems to have legs at the moment. Anthony has a full no-trade clause in the deal he signed with the Knicks in 2014, so he controls his options.
It would probably take a heavy recruiting pitch from Wade and Butler to convince Anthony to move to Chicago. Keep in mind, when the Bulls pursued Anthony as a free agent in 2014, it was former coach Tom Thibodeau who pushed hardest to add the high-scoring forward.
Anyway, more intrigue was ladled onto the Knicks' messy situation this week when Kevin Ding, a longtime Lakers beat writer, wrote a column on Bleacher Report critical of Anthony's commitment to winning.
The story claimed Anthony is "addicted to his individual success." As evidence, Ding mentioned Anthony's assist average dropping from 4.2 to 2.9 this season, along with the 2014 decision to pass on joining a winning Bulls team.
Jackson referenced the column on Twitter, sending this open-to-interpretation message: "Bleacher's Ding almost rings the bell, but I learned you don't change the spot on a leopard with Michael Graham in my CBA daze."
Graham is a player Jackson coached in the CBA who supposedly couldn't get the most from his talents. Jackson's mention of a leopard not changing its spots seems to suggest he doesn't believe Anthony will suddenly become a team-first player. In a possibly related note, the Knicks have gone 6-19 since Dec. 22.
The Bulls are overloaded with young players, but not many young trade assets, so they'd need the Knicks to be desperate. But a package with Rajon Rondo, Taj Gibson and whatever else could work and would free plenty of cap space for New York this summer.
This brings to mind Wade's quote when talking about why he didn't join the Bulls in 2010. He thought a lineup with him, James and Derrick Rose required too many guys who needed the ball. In Miami, Wade and James took turns making plays, while Bosh was mostly a spot-up shooter.
In theory, this could work. Butler and Wade would be the alternating playmakers, while Anthony could become maybe the greatest spot-up shooter of all time. Any of the three could take a last-second shot.
I think this lineup would win. Scoring would come easily and that's the trademark NBA success these days. But with Wade already 35 and Anthony about to turn 33, it could end up being a second-round of the playoffs winner, not a get to the Finals and contend for a title squad.
Anthony is due to make $26.2 and $27.9 million over the next two seasons, so he's a pricey commitment and would leave little room to add extra pieces. This scenario would be fun to watch, but could easily turn out like Brooklyn's failed acquisition of Pierce and Garnett. That aging Nets team made one trip to the second round of the playoffs and is now facing a difficult rebuilding project.
I still think a better path for the Bulls is to use their cap space this summer to build a more experienced supporting cast around Butler and Wade.
Surreal night at MSG:
Speaking of the dysfunctional Knicks, one of the strangest incidents in recent memory happened Wednesday night when Knicks legend Charles Oakley was dragged from his seat at Madison Square Garden and arrested on charges of assaulting security guards.
There are differing versions of what happened. Oakley said he did nothing wrong, but was asked to leave by security. Others claimed he was heckling Knicks owner James Dolan, who was seated nearby, with whom Oakley has a long-standing feud.
Whatever happened, it was a horrible look for an already tumultuous franchise. Oakley is beloved by Knicks fans and former teammates across the league. Dwyane Wade spoke out in support of Oakley via his Instagram account.
"He's the best teammate in the world. He really is," L.A. Clippers coach Doc Rivers said after the game. Rivers and Oakley were Knicks teammates for 2½ seasons. "It's sad. That was tough for me to watch."
Having covered Oakley during his return to the Bulls in 2001-02, I can confirm he was beloved by his younger teammates on that squad. And while he loved to wisecrack with reporters, he was never loud. I don't see Oakley as a guy who would sit nearby and yell insults at Dolan.
But who knows the full story? Tennis great John McEnroe surely does, since photos confirm he was a couple steps away and tried to help calm things down. Maybe he'll fill us in.
• Follow Mike's Bulls reports on Twitter @McGrawDHBulls.
Bulls game day
Bulls vs. Phoenix Suns at Talking Stick Resort Arena, 9:30 p.m. Friday
TV: WGN, ESPN
Radio: WLS 890-AM
Outlook: The Suns (16-37) are trying to invest in some young guys and it's been a rough ride. They're lost eight of the last nine and three in a row. Veteran PG Eric Bledsoe is the top scorer at 21.2 points, followed closely by second-year SG Devin Booker at 21.1 ppg. Third-year SF T.J. Warren (13.1 ppg) plays a major role, while rookie PF Marquese Chriss (7.6) is getting court time. No. 4 overall pick Dragan Bender is recovering from ankle surgery. Former Bulls C Tyson Chandler, now 34, ranks eighth in the league in rebounds with 11.7. The Suns are last in the league in assists per game and rank 29th in points allowed (112.6). The Bulls have won six of their last seven games at Phoenix.
Next: Minnesota Timberwolves at the Target Center on Sunday, 2:30 p.m.
- Mike McGraw