The Chicago Bulls are in a bit of a rut right now, as they have lost their last three games to bring their record down to 15-11 and have also had their off-the-court issues. With the team underperforming, there have been plenty of rumors about potential trades that could make the roster stronger, and now it seems as though they are looking to trade Taj Gibson or Joakim Noah for a wing player, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical Podcast.
Wojnarowski's report states that the Bulls are looking for a "talented wing" in return for either Gibson, Noah, or both. Jimmy Butler is one of the starting wings for the Bulls, but the other wing has been a bit of a question mark as the Bulls have been without Mike Dunleavy all season so far, and this rumor could mean that Chicago is seriously worried about his back. Dunleavy was expected to return a few weeks ago but suffered a setback and is still out indefinitely. Dunleavy isn't a star, but he is very good in his role and without him, Tony Snell and Doug McDermott obviously haven't lived up to expectations. However, McDermott has shot really well.
The Bulls have a glut of big men, so a trade like this would make a lot of sense. However, as of right now, they are reportedly having trouble finding trading partners. Noah is currently out with a partial tear in his shoulder, and he is expected to miss 2-4 weeks, so that may hurt his value a little bit despite being on an expiring contract.
Gibson is under contract for this season and next season, but it is at a reasonable price and he has worked his way into Chicago's starting lineup, so he should draw some sort of interest. Gibson has been pretty good so far this season, as he is averaging 7.2 points and 6.0 rebounds in 22.5 minutes per game. As a result, it may just be a matter of time before he garners more interest.
As the trade deadline gets closer, teams with playoff hopes will become more desperate. This makes trades more likely, so the Bulls should be able to pull something off. It is just a matter of what talented wings are available to trade for. Shabazz Muhammad of the Minnesota Timberwolves would seem to fit their needs pretty well, but the Wolves have said that he is not available and they certainly don't need more frontcourt depth. The Bulls look like they will be big players in this year's trade market, so we will see if they can pull off a big trade to once again become threats in the Eastern Conference.
