Bulls target Bosh with pitch; will meet James on Saturday
After working so hard to create cap space for the past 18 months, the Bulls worked overtime on Thursday to fill it.
The management team of Gar Forman, John Paxson and new coach Tom Thibodeau traveled to Dallas for a visit with Toronto forward Chris Bosh shortly after the NBA's free agent negotiating period began at 11:01 p.m. Central time Wednesday.
They flew back in time to host Miami guard Dwyane Wade for a two-hour visit Thursday at the United Center. They spoke to Joe Johnson, and reportedly set up meetings for Friday with New York forward David Lee, Utah forward Carlos Boozer and Round 2 with Bosh.
That's all a prelude to the main event: Saturday's meeting in downtown Cleveland with LeBron James. The two-time MVP hosted representatives from the Nets and Knicks on Thursday, and will listen to sales pitches from the Heat and Clippers on Friday.
Every indication suggests James' decision will come down to the Bulls or Cavaliers, the two teams he'll speak with on Saturday. It will be difficult for him to leave the Akron/Cleveland area, where he has lived his entire life.
Then again, after three straight early exits from the playoffs, James has to ask if his best chance for an NBA championship ring would be with Derrick Rose, Joakim Noah and possibly Bosh in Chicago. An ESPN report suggested James plans to have final decision by Monday.
The Bulls have been focused on James for the past six weeks, but took the time to visit with Wade. Having stated a preference for staying in Miami so often, it was easy to wonder if Wade was serious about considering the Bulls or if he was acting as a double-agent with a mission to thwart the Bulls' pursuit of James and Bosh.
Miami has more salary cap room than any NBA team and there has been talk of Wade trying to recruit James and Bosh to South Beach. Wade did not speak with reporters when he arrived and departed in a black Escalade.
If the Bulls wanted to show Wade they mean business, their sales pitch could have sounds something like this:
"Look Dwyane, you can try to convince Bosh to join you in Miami in a lineup with Michael Beasley and Mario Chalmers. Or you can both come to Chicago, play with Derrick Rose, Joakim Noah and Luol Deng, and also suit up for a team that doesn't need to curtain off upper deck seats so the stadium doesn't seem so empty. Do we need to continue?"
A league source didn't think Wade is any more interested now in joining the Bulls than he was when he questioned the team's loyalty to its players a few weeks ago. Wade might have been sizing up the competition, while the Bulls basically treated the meeting as a dress rehearsal for James on Saturday.
This is certainly a tenuous time for the Bulls. They could be on the verge of locking up both James and Bosh, creating a potential superpower. Or they could miss out on James, watch Bosh sign in Miami and never get a clean look at their next target, Johnson.
Atlanta reportedly went all in with a maximum contract offer worth $120 million over six years to convince Johnson to stay. Maybe it's not the most fiscally responsible move of the summer, but it could prove painful for the Bulls, because Johnson was definitely on their wish list.
Johnson is planning to consider all his options, but it appears he's likely to re-sign Atlanta when the signing moratorium is lifted on July 8.
Follow every move the Bulls make on Mike McGraw's "All Bull" blog at dailyherald.com.
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