Carmelo To Chicago Bulls: Bulls Must Be Greedy To Secure New Dynasty

The Chicago Bulls have been described as a lot of things: tough, blue-collar, gritty.

But this summer, the Chicago Bulls must be one thing to ensure that they will exceed all competition next season, and that is: greedy.

Carmelo to Chicago would mark the start of a New Chicago Bulls Basketball Dynasty.

While many sensible trades have been floated that have the Bulls parting with draft picks and Mirotic to secure getting Carmelo Anthony in a sign and trade from the New York Knicks, the Bulls have to be GREEDY.

The way the Lakers have been greedy in getting Dwight Howard from Orlando.

The way the Celtics have been greedy in getting Kevin Garnett from Minnesota.

The way the Lakers have been greedy in getting Shaquille O'Neal from Orlando.

The way the Miami Heat thumbed their noses at collusion rules and greedily got Lebron James, Dwayne Wade, and Chris Bosh in one summer.

The Bulls must be just as greedy.

The New York Knicks pain must be the Bulls' gain, and Carmelo must force his way out of town to only one destination: CHICAGO.

No other team sets Carmelo Anthony up to win a championship next year the way Chicago does, and now with Phil Jackson essentially saying to Melo, "You need to take a pay cut to stay in New York," the Knicks only advantage (the ability to pay Melo more than other teams) is off the table.

Carmelo Anthony will be in a Chicago Bulls uniform next season.

But the question is: what will the Bulls give up to make it happen?

The answer: as little as possible.

After Phil Jackson's statements regarding Melo's "promise" to take less money, it became very clear that despite being a very capable poker player, Jackson wasn't holding any cards.

Now, the Chicago Bulls front office must have a plan as to how little they will give up to bring Melo to Chicago and stick to it.

Here is my suggestion for how greedy the Bulls must be with their offer:

1. The Bulls must keep Taj Gibson (Joakim Noah has already said that losing Taj is not an option in a Melo to Chicago deal).
2. The Bulls must keep the rights to Mirotic (it helps that the Spanish League MVP has said that he wants to play for the Bulls).
3. The Bulls must keep at least one of this year's first round draft picks; draft picks in other years may be offered (Chicago must have a player in this year's deep draft to develop before they perennially draft in the last few slots in each round).
4. Carmelo must sign in the $15 to 18 million range (understanding that Chicago is a major market for big advertising dollars and presents the potential opportunity for international marketing deals at least as good as New York).
5. The Knicks must take Boozer's expiring contract (using the amnesty clause on Boozer's deal will not eliminate the cap hit from his deal, only reduce it).

While it may seem harsh, it would actually get New York back on track with draft picks (maybe one this season and one in 2016, or the Sacramento First Rounder), as well as, cap space next summer to bring in young stars from the free agent class of 2015 (LaMarcus Aldridge, Rajon Rondo, Kyrie Irving, etc.) to rebuild the New York Knicks franchise. Keeping Melo would be a win now move that the rest of the Knicks roster is not built for.

The Chicago Bulls front office deserves a lot of credit for the great players and coaches they have brought in and the great culture that they have fostered. However, they must get greedy with this summer's opportunity to add an elite scorer to a team that already boasts the NBA's best defense and the Defensive Player of the Year.

Being greedy this summer could mean building a dynasty and a legacy in Chicago Sports that rivals the Michael Jordan era, if the Chicago Bulls can play their cards right.

How good could a starting line-up of Rose-Butler-MELO-Gibson-Noah be? How would that starting five stack up against Oklahoma City, Los Angeles Clippers, or Miami? Tell us what you think in the comments below!