The Chicago Bulls have now lost three games in a row to bring their record to 11-8, and they seem very mediocre. The Bulls consider themselves to be a team that can compete for an Eastern Conference Championship and possibly an NBA title, but the way things are currently constructed that doesn't seem realistic. Chicago needs to make some sort of upgrade to its roster, and one way the team could do so is by trading Joakim Noah, which is a real possibility, according to Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders.
The report suggests the Bulls might be willing to gauge what Noah could return in a trade, and they also might be willing to unload him to add a piece that can aid them in a postseason run. Noah has been coming off the bench all season, and his role has become quite small as he is averaging just more than 21 minutes per game. Although he hasn't done much this season, Noah will likely have value as he is a former All-Star who is elite on defense and brings a ton of energy.
Noah is in the final year of his contract and is making $13.4 million this season, so that is even more of a reason to trade, him but the one roadblock is the fact that Noah is beloved in Chicago and has been the team's emotional leader for a long time. The Bulls reportedly don't see trading Noah as ideal, but the fact is that he is their best trade chip, and head coach Fred Hoiberg has not been using him all that much, so they might just cash in on his trade value.
The Bulls would likely need to be offered someone who could push them over the top in order to get rid of Noah, but that does remain a possibility.
Noah has said recently that he is frustrated with his role and playing time, so a trade might be the best thing for him too despite the fact that he has only played with the Bulls in his NBA career. Noah is in the Bulls' rotation, but losing him wouldn't hurt all that much as they have Bobby Portis waiting in the wings. Portis is an impressive rookie who Hoiberg has wanted to get minutes for but just hasn't been able to, so a trade of Noah might not only bring in a key piece in another place but would also possibly free up some time for the rookie.
