On Wednesday night, Carlos Boozer committed to the Chicago Bulls for a what is reportedly a five-year, $75M deal. After losing out on Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, the Bulls moved quickly to add an athletic power forward to their front court at the last minute as they continue to pursue LeBron James. The Bulls can still afford a max contract with Boozer's salary on the books.
The fantasy implications can't be fully determined until free agency rests, especially considering LeBron, but there are a number of factors that should be considered.
Boozer should be expected to maintain his stats, staying around 20 points and 10-11 rebounds per night. He played with an elite point guard in Utah, Deron Williams, so he should transition to Chicago easily.
Derrick Rose should see his assist numbers increase from his average of 6.0 last year. The Bulls will look to add an outside threat, perhaps JJ Redick or Mike Miller, and Rose could see his numbers approach the stats put up by Williams in Utah.
Joakim Noah could see his days as an assumed double-double disappear because of Boozer's inside scoring ability, but remember that most of Noah's points are scored off putbacks on the offensive glass. Having another big man that can play big minutes should help Noah's production to maintain, and may improve his blocked shots as a backside help defender.
