Carlos Boozer continues to await his fate with the Chicago Bulls. He is well-aware that come next season he will not be wearing a Bulls uniform. The team has agreed to a contract with Pau Gasol all but forcing Boozer out the door. However, it has yet to be determined just how the Bulls will go about getting rid of him as interest in the veteran appears low.
The Bulls will get rid of Boozer, they just need to decide how. The team could use their lone amnesty clause and wipe him off the books. They could attempt to search out a trade for the forward. In the end, they could simply cut their losses and release him. Boozer is not the player his once was. His stats dropped off last season as he averaged just 28 minutes per game with 13.7 points and 8.3 rebounds. Considering his age, the Bulls might be forced to drop him.
According to the Chicago Sun-Times, the Bulls are doing everything they can to escalate a trade for Boozer. So far all their efforts have come up short. They tried a sign-and-trade with the New York Knicks for Carmelo Anthony. They tried the same approach with the Los Angeles Lakers to get Gasol. Chicago is going to be forced to lower their expectations on what they could possibly get in return for the veteran.
The Bulls have been trying since last season to dump off Boozer. The Washington Wizards were interested during the mid-season trading period, but according to NBA writer Chuck Myron, they no longer are. After several free agent signings, unless Boozer agrees to a minimum contract, Washington no longer has the cap space to afford Boozer's $16 million contract. If released, the Wizards might take a look, but only if he agrees to a minimum deal.
Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders reports that Boozer prefers to sign with the Miami Heat next season. The Heat could be interested if the Bulls amnesty the forward. They have taken advantage of those situations in the past, picking up players like Chris Andersen. If the Bulls amnesty Boozer, they still have to pay him the $16.8 million salary, but it does not count towards their cap space. The Heat could then sign the forward to a veteran's minimum contract.
The Heat would certainly welcome Boozer onto the team. They were interested in Gasol for the same purposes before he went to Chicago. Boozer would likely not be a starter, but would tag team well with Chris Bosh. Boozer will be out of Chicago in the next few weeks as the team's roster takes shape. His next contract can be expected to be much smaller.
