The Eastern Conference is tough to figure out this season, as the Cleveland Cavaliers are clearly the cream of the crop, but the second best team has been a mystery all year long. The Chicago Bulls might have a case for that spot, but they have had a lot going on this year, both on and off the court, that has prevented this talented team from reaching its potential. The Bulls had been looking to trade one of their big men since they have a lot of depth in the frontcourt, but Joakim Noah's injury likely ended all of that.
Pau Gasol is having another All-Star type of season, but the Bulls were still looking at possible deals for the 35-year-old center before Noah's injury, according to Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today. Noah separated his shoulder last weekend for the second time and is done for the season, so it is now unlikely that the Bulls move any of their big men.
The report states that the Bulls were "quietly checking into deals" for Gasol, as he is expected to opt out of the final year of his contract with the Bulls and become an unrestricted free agent this offseason. Trading Gasol was never going to be an easy task for the Bulls, though, as he has been dealing with his own nagging injuries and has a short list of teams that he is willing to sign a deal with after this season. Gasol is not the type of player that you want for his expiring contract, and the Bulls were likely looking for a big-time asset in return for him. If a team were to trade for Gasol, it would have probably wanted to sign him to an extension on the spot or at least know it had a chance to retain him, which would have limited the options the Bulls had for trade partners.
Now that Noah is done for the year, the Bulls frontcourt isn't quite as deep, and they don't have as much maneuverability to make a trade. It seems highly unlikely now that Taj Gibson or Gasol will be traded, because if they were, it would mean that the Bulls are basically conceding any chance to make a playoff run.
Gasol is in his 15th season in the NBA, but he is still an extremely productive player. Through 38 games this season, he is averaging 16.7 points, 10.8 rebounds and 2.3 blocks and is still one of the top centers in the NBA. Trading Gasol was never likely, but the Bulls were doing their due diligence to see if they could get a great offer for someone who will likely be playing elsewhere next year anyway. Noah's injury likely cements the fact that Gasol will finish the season in Chicago, but it was worth it to see if they could have used Gasol to fill another need.
