The Chicago Bulls are dealing with a tough situation regarding point guard Derrick Rose and his knee and now that he is getting surgery on his other knee, not the one he had ACL surgery on last year, the immediate future of the team comes into question and so does the idea about when they will decide or not to trade star Luol Deng.
Rose injured his knee on the recent road trip for the Bulls and now he will have surgery on Monday and while his timetable for a return is up in the air, after missing all last season, the Bulls might want to play things safe. That brings us to Luol Deng and his future with the team, as it is likely that he now will be traded after being unable to come to an agreement on a contract extension before the season started up. According to Pro Basketball Talk, Deng could get moved sooner than expected if Rose remains out for the season, as he could leave next summer for nothing as an unrestricted free agent and this comes after the Bulls tabled talks between the two sides.
The Bulls season could be derailed once again after Rose was injured and Deng's future with the team now comes into question, especially if the injury is so severe that Rose can't return. Deng has been an All-Star twice and is one of the best players on the team and if the Bulls want something in return, they need to make a deal, because after tabling extension discussions, it appears a split is coming anyway. Deng should have targets from a number of teams, including the New York Knicks and the Los Angeles Lakers as well as the New Orleans Pelicans for someone like Eric Gordon.
Deng led the team in scoring with16.5 points last season and was tops in minutes and it is very likely that the team will shop him around as trade bait moving forward. Rose is set for surgery Monday and the injury he suffered against the Blazers on a non-contact play could keep him out for six months at least, which is what happened to Russell Westbrook when he had a similar injury. Rose likely will be held out for longer after dealing with his knee injury last season and while he is still just 25-years-old, the fact that he will have surgery on both knees is a major concern for the team and could affect how they do business this season and in the offseason.
Eric Gordon from the Pelicans would be an interesting option, as he has been mentioned in trade talks numerous times and after losing Rose, adding someone like Gordon could help with scoring. The Bulls are second in rebounding and fourth in points allowed behind Deng, Carlos Boozer and Joakim Noah, but they are 27th in scoring and bringing in someone like Gordon could change that.