The Chicago Bulls didn't make any major trades at the deadline, but there were certainly plenty of rumors surrounding a few of their players. Taj Gibson and Pau Gasol were the two players mentioned most often, but they are both still in Chicago for now. Gasol is likely to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of this season, and Bulls' general manager Gar Forman has made it clear that he would like to retain Gasol, according to Nick Friedell of ESPN Chicago.
Gasol has a player option for next season worth about $7.8 million, but he has made it clear he intends to decline that option and hit the open market. Many people had assumed that the Bulls would let Gasol walk after this season, but Forman doesn't plan to do that, saying, "We see him as a big piece of what we're doing today and in the future."
On the day of the trade deadline there were rumors that the Kings were heavily pursuing a trade for Gasol. The deal never materialized, and after the deadline had passed Gasol said that he was happy to still be in Chicago, according to K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune.
While Gasol said he was happy to stay with the Bulls, that was far from a guarantee that he would re-sign this offseason. Gasol is now 35 years old, and his career is winding down so he wants to win more than anything. Because of that Gasol says that how the Bulls play for the rest of the season will have an impact on his free agency this summer, according to Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times.
"How these final games play out will give me information of how I want to, or how my decision will be influenced for sure. How we handle this situation and if we're able to overcome it, get more together and united and stronger or we give up or are content with it. Because that tells a lot, it tells you a lot about the character of a team and the people you are around with," said Gasol.
Despite being up there in age Gasol was named an All-Star this season for the second straight year and is having another very good season. Through 52 games the center is averaging 17.1 points and 10.8 rebounds per game. The Bulls will have a lot of decisions to make this offseason including one on Joakim Noah who will also be a free agent, but clearly Gasol is a top priority. Gasol, though, will be coveted by many teams on the market so it would certainly behoove the Bulls to finish the season strong.
