With the exception of deciding what to do with restricted free agent Aaron Gray, the Bulls' roster-shuffling this summer might be finished after wrapping up a few loose ends this week by officially signing free agent Jannero Pargo, re-signing Lindsey Hunter and reaching a contract settlement with (and waiving) Tim Thomas.
But if the Bulls are interested in dealing for Carlos Boozer, there remains a strong chance they could work out a deal with the Utah Jazz for the power forward. Even though the three-team deal reported last week by ESPN.com is essentially dead, that doesn't necessarily mean Boozer won't end up in Chicago.
During an appearance Tuesday on the ''Waddle & Silvy'' show on WMVP-AM (1000), Boozer said that he was told he would be traded and that he would love to end up with the Bulls .
''The Jazz told me they want to go in a different direction, and I respect their decision,'' he said. ''We mutually agreed to work out a trade that was beneficial for them and beneficial for my family and me. So with that being said, I'm gonna be traded relatively soon or in good time.
''If I did get traded to the Bulls , I'd love to be in Chicago. They've got great talent with Derrick Rose and a lot of good talent around him.''
Although the ESPN.com report had the Bulls giving up Kirk Hinrich and Tyrus Thomas, the cost of trading for Boozer likely will be a lot less than that.
The Jazz -- which already has more than $73 million in salary commitments for the upcoming season before matching the offer sheet for Paul Millsap -- is desperate to unload Boozer's $12.7 million salary, and there aren't many teams willing to take on a big contract.
It's a buyer's market, and the Bulls might be able to swing a deal with an offer of Tyrus Thomas ($4.7 million) and the expiring contract of Jerome James ($6.6 million). That exchange would save the Jazz roughly $1.3 million and get them closer to the luxury-tax threshold of $69.92 million.
Of course, that deal also would put the Bulls a little over the luxury-tax threshold, but there are other ways they could get under the number before they'd have to pay the dollar-for-dollar penalty.
That proposal also wouldn't affect the Bulls' flexibility moving forward. Boozer's contract expires after next season, so they still could be major players in the potentially blockbuster free-agent class of next summer.
But even if they re-sign Boozer, the Bulls still would be capable of getting enough under the salary cap to sign a significant free agent.
The biggest issue with Boozer is his ability to stay healthy. He played in only 37 regular-season games last season but averaged better than 20 points and 10 rebounds in five playoff games.
Notes: Lindsey Hunter, who will make $1.3 million, doesn't figure to play much, but the Bulls like having him as a mentor for Derrick Rose and a veteran presence on the bench and in the locker room.
- Tim Thomas was to make $6.4 million in the final year of his contract.
