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KC Johnson: If Bulls match, which Gar Forman has consistently said the Bulls plan to do, guarantees Boozer would be amnestied for 2014-15 season. Twitter

Chicago Bulls, Houston Rockets, Free Agency, Carlos Boozer, Omer Asik 

As a public service reminder, Carlos Boozer will not be amnestied this summer. The Bulls know they will need his scoring next season, especially with Rose, and possibly Deng out. It's a good bet that Boozer, and his bloated contract, may be amnestied in the next year or two, but not this summer. ESPN.com

Chicago Bulls, Carlos Boozer 

According to the same source, the rest of the team's "core"--starters Rose, Deng, Hamilton, center Joakim Noah and power forward Carlos Boozer, as well as reserve big men Taj Gibson and Omer Asik, the latter of whom is a restricted free agent this summer, though the Bulls are likely to match any offers for him from opposing teams--is "safe," though team management will surely at least listen to trade offers. CSN Chicago

Chicago Bulls, Free Agency, Trade, Carlos Boozer, Luol Deng, Omer Asik, Richard Hamilton, Derrick Rose, Joakim Noah, Taj Gibson 

The Lakers have zero interest and would take Lamar Odom back before taking on Boozer’s $47 million remaining. Or maybe Smush Parker. NBA.com

Chicago Bulls, Los Angeles Lakers, Pau Gasol, Carlos Boozer, Lamar Odom 

Bulls general manager Gar Forman told The Mully and Hanley Show that he expects Boozer to remain on the team. “I think Carlos had a very productive year,” Forman said. “You look back, he’s the only guy on our team that played every game and practiced every day on a team that won more games than anybody in the NBA. He was our second leading scorer and our second leading rebounder. We’re looking forward to Carlos continuing to make progress. I know the last game clouds it a little bit, but he was very productive in the games before that. Even in that last game, in 27 minutes, he had 13 boards. I anticipate Carlos being with us and having another productive year next season. “We’re happy Carlos Boozer is here and we like the core of the team that we have under contract.” CBS Chicago

Chicago Bulls, Carlos Boozer 

"The last two weeks were so tough," said forward Carlos Boozer, better at perspective Thursday than he was at shooting a basketball (1 of 11). "Pooh [Rose] going down. Jo going down. I'll tell you one thing: It didn't break our spirit though. You saw us fighting every day, scrapping out there against a team that was completely healthy, with a lot of talent out there. I give us credit for that. We were a lot shorthanded, it wasn't a little bit." NBA.com

Chicago Bulls, Carlos Boozer 

After signing a five-year, $75 million free-agent contract, Boozer has sat the entire fourth quarters of consecutive season-ending losses. Boozer said he wanted to "come back a better player, all around, inside and out, defensively, offensively, a better leader" and Thibodeau, as is his nature, defended his play from the podium late Thursday in Philadelphia. "Carlos had a terrific year for us," Thibodeau said. "Didn't play well offensively. Passed well but didn't shoot well. His rebounding was excellent." Chicago Tribune

Chicago Bulls, Carlos Boozer 

As hard as it will be for Bulls' management to accept their fate this season given all the injuries the organization endured, what might be most jarring is the realization that the Boozer experiment has not worked. Bulls' executives were confident Boozer would turn things around this season. He came into camp in great shape, played every game this season and became arguably the team's most valuable player during the regular season. His defense still left a lot to be desired, but at least there were flashes of better rotations at times. Boozer, after all, heard the criticism throughout the summer, and he wanted to show he was worth that mega contract. ESPN.com

Chicago Bulls, Carlos Boozer 

Teammates, coaches and executives went out of their way to defend Boozer throughout the year. After dealing with several injuries last season, he finished the year with a painful turf toe injury that, it was argued by his defenders, was the root of his struggles in during the 2011 postseason. Yet again, when the lights were brightest Boozer was nowhere to be found on Thursday night. Without Rose and Noah, somebody had to step up and help Luol Deng carry the offensive load. Somebody had to help make shots for a gritty team that wasn't about to roll over and call it a season. ESPN.com

Chicago Bulls, Carlos Boozer 

"It's going to be a long summer," Boozer said. "A tough summer, especially to end it like this. But we'll be healthy and we'll be back next year." ESPN.com

Chicago Bulls, Carlos Boozer 

The 89-82 deficit on the scoreboard hurt the Bulls badly enough. The 31-14 discrepancy in free-throw attempts felt like piling on. "Listen, we're not going to blame the referees for our loss," Carlos Boozer said. "It was our fault we let up 25 points in the fourth quarter. But the discrepancy was huge and I thought we were being pretty aggressive." Chicago Tribune

Chicago Bulls, Philadelphia 76ers, Carlos Boozer, Referees 

Boozer in particular suffered from the imbalance at a critical juncture in the Bulls' 89-82 loss at Wells Fargo Center Sunday. The Chicago power forward -- and frequent target for Chicago fans and media critics -- had acquitted himself well when his team needed him most (23 points, 11 rebounds, more than 41 minutes). His three-point play with 3:18 left cut Philly's lead to 80-76 and Boozer was thinking likewise when he got the ball at 82-80 and about 80 seconds left. Boozer made his move toward the rim, went up between Elton Brand and Spencer Hawes and got nothing. No bucket. No foul. Just a blocked shot by Brand, according to the stats sheets and the referees. A whistle came at the other end and Jrue Holiday's free throws with 51.5 seconds left gave the Sixers enough points to win. "I thought I got fouled, to be quite frank about it," Boozer said later, though he didn't raise a fuss in the moment. "The calls they were calling on the other side, I thought that call could have been made. But they didn't call it. We just kept playing on." NBA.com

Chicago Bulls, Philadelphia 76ers, Carlos Boozer, Referees 

"It was a great pocket pass by C.J. (Watson)," Boozer said. "I was trying to go to the hole strong. Obviously, I wanted a layup or dunk. I thought I had some contact. I thought I got fouled to be frank. The fouls they were calling on the other side, I thought that call could've been made. But they didn't call it. We just kept playing on." On the ensuing possession, veteran official Dick Bavetta called Watson for a bump on Jrue Holiday as the Bulls' bench exploded in anger. "It was a key sequence," coach Tom Thibodeau said. "It kind of went against us." Chicago Tribune

Chicago Bulls, Philadelphia 76ers, Carlos Boozer, Referees 

Chicago coach Tom Thibodeau thought the same thing as Boozer. "Quite frankly, I thought that we had some good hard drives where we didn't get calls," Thibodeau said. Veteran swingman Richard Hamilton, in constant contact with Philadelphia defenders on his perpetual motion cuts and curls, wouldn't answer the question directly but clearly felt the same. Boozer didn't just feel shorted for himself. "I thought Luol [Deng] was driving almost every time he got the ball," he said. "He was getting contact on a lot of his shots. I thought C.J. [Watson] was driving the ball -- there was one play at the end of the game, he got hit right in the face. I saw the whole play; he didn't get that call." NBA.com

Chicago Bulls, Philadelphia 76ers, Carlos Boozer, Tom Thibodeau, Referees 

"Listen, we're not going to sit here and blame the referees for our loss," said Boozer, who also lost the ball out of bounds with 48 seconds left for an unforced and costly turnover. "It was our fault we lost the game. We gave up 25 points in the fourth quarter. ... The discrepancy is huge. I thought we were being pretty aggressive. ... but at the same time, that's not why we lost. We lost because we didn't contain their guards in the fourth quarter." NBA.com

Chicago Bulls, Philadelphia 76ers, Carlos Boozer, Referees 

KC Johnson: Carlos Boozer: "I would love to get the ball in the paint more, work a little more on pick-and-rolls. But the biggest thing is defense." Twitter

Chicago Bulls, Carlos Boozer 

Said Boozer: "I just feel bad for him, man. He just can't catch a break this year. He almost had a triple-double and then this happens. Our prayers are with him." Chicago Tribune

Chicago Bulls, Carlos Boozer, Derrick Rose, Injuries 

This season, it’s been a different story, as the power forward has been the only Bulls starter to play in all 50 of the first-place team’s games this season. A big reason for that is that Boozer reported to training camp after the NBA lockout in much-improved physical shape. “It’s huge. He got hurt early last year, but I think he came back in excellent shape, so I think that’s helped him a lot and last year his injury was misfortune. Then, he had the turf toe at the end of the season and the ankle sprain, but that was probably from all the time that he had off and this year, he’s just been ready, right from the beginning,” said Thibodeau. “He’s lighter and I think that’s a very good point. Particularly for big guys, I think light and lean as they get older is critical. “I think it’s difficult to lead when you’re injured and the team was new to him. You have to be playing to lead, really. Now that he’s been here for two years, I think he’s a lot more comfortable — knowing his teammates, his teammates know him — knowing the system. It’s hard to lead when you get hurt in the first week, you don’t know your teammates and you don’t know the system. Carlos has been a terrific player in the league for a long time,” he continued. “He’s playing strong. He’s always had that strength. I think it’s made him quicker. I also think it helps to avoid injury.” CSN Chicago

Chicago Bulls, Carlos Boozer 

Chicago's talks with the Los Angeles Lakers regarding Pau Gasol before the trade deadline never got too far, largely because the Lakers had no interest in taking back Carlos Boozer ... and because the Bulls weren't about to find a third team willing to join the talks to absorb the three years and $47 million remaining on Boozer's deal to help Chicago get the Spaniard. File this away, though. Sources with knowledge of Chicago's thinking told ESPN.com that Bulls chairman Jerry Reinsdorf was prepared last week to go into the luxury tax if necessary if a legit trade scenario involving Gasol had materialized. ESPN.com

Chicago Bulls, Los Angeles Lakers, Trade, Pau Gasol, Carlos Boozer 

Ben Golliver: Joel Przybilla to Carlos Boozer: "Meet me after, meet me after, I'll f*** you up" http://youtu.be/9w0Jl34IGvg Twitter

Chicago Bulls, Portland Trail Blazers, Carlos Boozer, Joel Przybilla