Honestly, the only way I can make sense of whats happening is this:
Melo wants to play in Chicago, but also wants his money. Phil isnt caving and approving a sign/trade
Melo pretty much has to decide whether he wants to win, or if he wants money
As much as I love Taj, I would hope the Bulls have told Melo they will clear anything (Boozer, Taj, etc) to offer him the most they possibly can without moving the deals of Rose, Noah, Butler, Mcdermott(Jimmy & Doug because they are cheap). Then again, maybe losing Taj is something Melo doesnt want to happen, because it makes us worse, and then whats the fukking point of turning down the $$ if you dont feel 100% confident you will win a title.
the only other options besides what I just detailed is if Melo is interested in taking a max from Houston or Miami, because if dude WANTED to be in NY why the HELL hasnt he signed those 130m papers!?
No clue how this will play out but this must be the situation right now.