Korver joins confident Boozer in Bulls' equation

One night, the Bulls were told to forget about LeBron James. The next day, they introduced power forward Carlos Boozer.

Coach Tom Thibodeau couldn't have been more enthusiastic about the Bulls' newest addition, which on the surface might have sounded like organizational spin.

Then again, keep in mind what happened when Thibodeau was designing defenses for Jeff Van Gundy and the Houston Rockets in 2007. In Game 7 of a first-round playoff series, Boozer erupted for 35 points and 14 rebounds to lead the Utah Jazz to an impressive road victory.

"He was very difficult for us to guard," Thibodeau said. "I'd say impossible. He killed us. I just think that experience and the way he competes - those are things I love."

So the Bulls were believable while repeating how happy they are to finally have a proven low-post scorer on the roster. Boozer averaged 19.5 points, 11.2 rebounds and shot 56 percent from the field last season. Technically, he arrived in a sign-and-trade with Utah after agreeing to a five-year deal worth around $80 million.

"This was the best place for me professionally and personally," Boozer said Friday at the Berto Center. "One of the biggest reasons, they want to win. They have a huge desire to win championships. Not just now, but for many years to come.

"They have the pieces in place, the motivation in place, the coach in place and the right DNA makeup to get it done. I want to win championships."

The Bulls were just getting started with Boozer. They agreed to terms with another former Utah player, 6-7 shooting guard Kyle Korver, for a reported $15 million over three years. Last season, Korver broke Steve Kerr's NBA record for 3-point field-goal percentage, shooting .536 while averaging 7.2 points per game.

Late Friday, the Bulls tendered an offer sheet to Orlando shooting guard J.J. Redick worth a reported $20 million over three years. The Magic has seven days to match, but are already into luxury-tax territory, so matching would essentially cost Orlando $40 million.

After a slow start to his pro career, the 6-4 Redick averaged 9.6 points last season in 22 minutes, shooting 40.5 percent from 3-point range.

Regarding that other free agent, LeBron Somebody, the Bulls showed none of the anger spewed in Cleveland. Asked his reaction to James' nationally-televised decision, general manager Gar Forman said he just got back on the phone and kept trying to improve the team.

During the hours leading up to James' announcement, it became obvious Chicago was not his destination, even though official word didn't arrive until just before the special hit the air.

"Going into it, even though we had enough money for two guys, a big priority was inside scoring," Forman said. "And thus we're very, very happy Carlos is here."

Thibodeau was equally positive, stating, "By no means do we see Carlos as a consolation prize. I'm thrilled that we got him and I think we're very fortunate. When I took the job here, I was basing it on the players that were already here, not who might come here."

Boozer was a teammate of James in Cleveland during the 2003-04 season. He made an attempt to sway James' decision, but also called Thursday night to offer congratulations when James was on his way to Miami.

"Of course I was trying to get him to come down to Chicago and play with us," Boozer said. "But I was happy for him. I talked to him last night and wished him good luck. He wished the same for me. He had to do what's best for him and his family. Hopefully, we'll see them down the road."

An obvious storyline to next season is whether any team can beat Miami's power trio of James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. With Boozer, Joakim Noah and Taj Gibson, the Bulls might have an edge on the Heat in the paint. Boozer was already looking forward to the matchup.

"You can't be afraid to play somebody because they have three really good players," he said. "How can you win if you're going to be afraid to play? We're not going to be afraid to play. We're going to fight, going to attack, going to go down there and see what happens."

Forman was asked if he thought Wade, Bosh and James were genuinely interested in moving to Chicago. All three players met with the Bulls early in the free-agent process. Wade visited with the Bulls twice and claimed he was leaning at one point to playing in his hometown.

"I really believe they did (have strong interest)," Forman said. "In their meetings, they were very interactive. They were trying to make the best-educated decision for themselves. The feedback we got was that there was great interest."

The Bulls still have more work to do to the roster this summer. Another former Utah player, Ronnie Brewer, is a candidate to sign on as a defensive-minded wing player. The Bulls also need a couple of backup guards and have talked to veteran center Brad Miller about returning.

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