The what-ifs of the NBA are definitely the most intriguing to talk about. After all, one simple trade can decide the fate of a team whether it heads to the lottery or to the Finals. In this case, LeBron James, Dwayne Wade, and Chris Bosh may not have ended up in Miami if things played out a little differently. According to reports, they were close to teaming up with Derrick Rose in Chicago. With a team of four superstars of that magnitude, how would that have changed the landscape of the NBA? Check out below to see how the Bulls were so close to landing these superstars and how it could have changed the course of history.
So close, yet so far
The Bulls were in the discussion when all the free agency drama started. Like the plethora of other teams just waiting to get their hands on the three superstars, the Bulls formulated a plan that was enticing enough for the Big Three to consider them as an option besides the Heat.
However, the Bulls needed an extra $16-18 million in salary-cap space to seal the deal. They looked to trade Luol Deng, either by getting a team to take Deng's remaining four years and $48 million in salary without taking any salary back, or via a sign-and-trade with Cleveland, Toronto or Miami. Moreover, the young superstar, Derrick Rose, reportedly wasn't actively recruiting the three as well. Overall, it was definitely possible. It was complicated, but possible nonetheless.
Before āThe Decisionā, the three evaluated their options and discussed the various pitches that were thrown at them. It was pretty close too as they eventually narrowed it down to either Chicago or Miami. Ultimately, Rose's lack of enthusiasm, and Chicago's inability to create an actionable plan to clear cap space brought the tides in favor of Miami.
Automatic championship?
Let's face it, they would have probably won a championship or two in Chicago. With a starting lineup of Rose, Wade, James, Bosh, and Joakim Noah, the Bulls would have been literally a lineup fit for an NBA All-Star Game. While Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah were clear upgrades from Mario Chalmers and Udonis Haslem, the Heat bench was arguably still better equipped to run with the Big Three as they were filled with role players that were utilized efficiently under Erik Spoelstra.
As for Chicago's coaching, the starting lineup may have thrived under Tom Thibodeau, as he was popular for heavily relying on his starters. However, there was also an equal chance of this backfiring as his players often dealt with injuries over the years. While the bench in Chicago may be thinner and the coaching was a question mark, this āwhat if lineupā would still most likely dominate the NBA (barring any major untimely injuries), and possibly even win a title over the Mavericks and Spurs.
Nevertheless, this remains to be one of the biggest what-ifs as all the players have either reached the end of their careers, or are almost approaching it. One can only speculate how much success this team could have achieved if the stars aligned.
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