With the NBA trade deadline less than a day away, it appears the Chicago Bulls will not trade for Carmelo Anthony, New York Knicks forward, and that’s a good thing.

The rumored trade between the Knicks and the Bulls was announced on Feb. 10. Chicago would get Anthony, Raymond Felton and Iman Shumpert in exchange for Carlos Boozer, Kirk Hinrich, Tony Snell, Jimmy Butler and a potential first-round draft pick.

Undoubtedly, Anthony is one of the best shooting forwards in the league and has been for a really long time. But, what would the Bulls really gain by acquiring Anthony? History shows more points, but also a guy with a stagnant playoff record and a self-centered game.

Melo is not exactly a team guy; he scores big points (27.3 PPG this year) and enjoys marginal rebound success, but not much else.

When it is time to get back on defense, Anthony shows no urgency unless the game is close with time expiring. Imagine how that would play out with Bulls’ coach Tom Thibodeau, a man who demands high-caliber defense from his players.

Melo’s dreadful playoff record is also a disconcerting sign.

In 10 seasons, Anthony has a 3-8 record in playoff rounds (playoff series) and has only made a deep run in the 2009 postseason, losing to the Lakers in six games in the Western Conference Finals. Last year was the only other time Melo has guided a team out of the first round, and they still had to battle an already-faltering Celtics team in a seven-game series.

His supporters argue that he has led a team to the playoffs every year since his rookie season, and six out of the 10 times he lost to the eventual Conference Champions, which justifies his playoff failures.

However, the playoffs are about winning championships; legacies are not defined by how many times a player has made the postseason, but by the number of world championships he can claim.

If the Bulls sincerely want Anthony, he will come with a high price tag and the roster will have to be gutted; crucial players would have to be moved.

There are a few ways Chicago could acquire Anthony: sign-and-trade, regular-season trade or through free agency.

After the NBA lockout of 2011, the new Collective Bargaining Agreement allows NBA teams to waive contracts of older players still under contract. If the Bulls could find a way to amnesty Boozer, trade Hinrich, Snell and a first-round draft pick (perhaps Dunleavy, too) without giving up Butler that could create an idyllic scenario to obtain Anthony. However, that seems like a dream trade heavily favoring Chicago only.

And if the Bulls do not acquire Anthony through a trade deal, they can pretty much forget about getting him in the offseason when he becomes a free agent.

Under the CBA, for Chicago to obtain an 11-year veteran like Anthony, it would have to free up more than $23 million in salaries and be in accordance with the $62 million cap space set for next year and probably needing to shave more expenses than that.

An injured Rose is owed $18.9 million next year; Taj Gibson is due $8.5 million; $12.2 million for Joakim Noah and $16.8 million is to be paid to Boozer. So among four players, that is more than $56 million dollars and a lot of roster tinkering.

Perhaps the Rose-Anthony duo would be the next best thing. Rose could ascend to MVP form and complement Anthony’s sharp offensive style. Perhaps Thibodeau gives Melo the boost defensively he has been missing for 11 years.

It just seems unlikely, at least in this Bulls system. Melo had his chance during the Anthony-Iverson experiment in Denver and now with this year’s shipwrecked Knicks team (20-32).

The best fit for Anthony would probably be with the Los Angeles Lakers. Melo and Kobe Bryant would perform with an outstanding dynamic with whomever the Lakers inevitably get with their lottery pick. Or the best-case scenarios, the Lakers trade their high-draft choice and move Pau Gasol, and obtain a brilliant defensive player in the process.

Of course the looming pressure to win immediately in the most decorated basketball city could prove too much for Melo , which is something that has haunted him so far in New York City.

But hey, if Anthony does land in Chicago and the Bulls put up 100-plus points at the United Center regularly, at least fans will become accustomed to free Big Macs, even if the same six banners remain swaying in the rafters.

Dylan frost can be reached at [email protected] or 536-3311 ext. 268