Chicago Bulls Roster & Trade Rumors: Ray Allen Joins Derrick Rose in Windy City?

Although news has circulated before that Ray Allen will most likely be playing with LeBron James in Cleveland, a new team recently showed their interest in acquiring the veteran guard.

Allen entered free agency during the summer and there are several NBA teams that are already interested in acquiring the 39-year-old. Included in the list are the Cleveland Cavaliers, Los Angeles Clippers, San Antonio Spurs and Washington Wizards. According to talks, there are about one dozen teams who have already contacted Allen and his representatives.

In a report by Slam Online, the Chicago Bulls have also contacted representatives of Allen to talk about the possibility of him playing with the team.

The team website stated, "The top contenders have been rumored to be the Cavaliers, where his latest championship teammate, LeBron James, returned, and the Los Angeles Clippers, where his title coach from Boston, Doc Rivers, has made a home... The Bulls are believed to be among almost a dozen teams to have contacted Allen and his representatives." 

In a report by ESPN.com, the Bulls made some remarkable acquisitions during the offseason. They now have Pau Gasol, Aaron Brooks, Nikola Mirotic and rookie Doug McDermott. With the return of a healthy Derrick Rose and the presence of center Joakim Noah, the Bulls are expected to be a strong contender in the east. Now, the team can also offer the possibility of being championship-worthy in the playoffs, aside from Cleveland and San Antonio. Another advantage for Allen, if he plays with the Bulls, is that he is close with coach Tom Thibodeau. Allen has close ties with both Doc Rivers and Thibodeau, who was Rivers' assistant in 2008 when Allen and the Boston Celtics won the NBA championship.

Chicago would benefit from Allen's three-point shooting. He may also agree to play at the veterans' minimum. In Chicago, Allen can expect to have more playing time, only splitting time with Jimmy Butler at the 2-spot. If he moves to Los Angeles, he has to share minutes with Jamal Crawford and J.J. Redick.

According to Bleacher Report, the Bulls are one of the few teams who are in dire need of an efficient guard. Even if Butler should be placed in the starting five, experts expect Thibodeau to use Allen more for his great long-range shooting. During the 2013-2014 NBA season, Allen made 37.5 percent of his three-point attempts. He averaged 9.6 points while playing 26.5 minutes per game. Butler, in comparison, only made 28.3 percent of his three-point shots in the past season.