The 29-year-old Taj Gibson is once again subject to trade rumors after a stellar performance last season for the Chicago Bulls. Despite being the Bulls sixth man, he was able to show not only the team, but everyone in the NBA that he is a starting-caliber power forward.
After some solid offseason moves, the Bulls front court has suddenly become very crowded with the addition of Pau Gasol and Nikola Mirotic. Their wing position, though, is quite thin and Yannis Koutroupis of Basketball Insiders believes that Gibson will be dealt before the February trade deadline to fortify the position:
I wrote about this the other week. I think that it's time to move Taj Gibson to get some more fire power out on the wing, where I feel they're lacking, around Derrick Rose. His value around the league is greater than it is for the Bulls right now. Kevin Martin would work this year, but he's 31 and has three years left on his deal at about $7 million per. It's a bad long-term move for the Bulls, especially considering his lackluster defensive abilities, lack of playoff experience and injury history - although in his defense he's missed very little time the last two seasons. I'd really like to see Avery Bradley on the Bulls, although I'm not sure how much interest the Celtics would have in Gibson. They can afford to lose Bradley, though.
The Minnesota Timberwolves, Boston Celtics, and Toronto Raptors are among the teams rumored to be interested in a trade deal for Gibson. The Timberwolves can offer Kevin Martin and the Celtics have Avery Bradley while its not clear what kind of assets the Raptors can come up with in a trade package for the Bulls Forward.
Though trade rumors for Taj Gibson are flying out of nowhere, many are still convinced that the Bulls will not move him before the deadline. The team needs his energy, defense, and competitive edge off the bench and losing him will surely hurt the Bulls both in the short-run and long-run.
"Let's make this VERY CLEAR here. This trade is ridiculous and will hurt the Bulls in the short-term AND long-term. As of right now, the Bulls do not need to mess with the team's defensive chemistry. If the Bulls value defense so much, then keep the man. Plus Gibson will get you a double double off the bench, which is already shaky as it is," reported a Bulls blog.
In addition, if Chicago are really serious in moving Gibson, they need to think very hard because they clearly need Taj in their roster. It's not necessary for the team to trade him given the delicate situation of their front court. Joakim Noah is coming off knee surgery while Pau Gasol is already 34-years-old and Gibson will be direly needed in case any of them gets down from injury. Mirotic is still adjusting in the NBA and does not have the defensive tenacity that Gibson brings to the team. But a silly rumor can become a reality if the Bulls make the wrong decision.
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