The Chicago Bulls might only be traveling with 12 players on the roster, but that is not stopping the team from inquiring about another trade or two before the approaching deadline. With less than three weeks to make a move, head coach Tom Thibodeau confirms there are teams interested in making deals.
After trading away Luol Deng for cap space and draft picks, it appeared the Bulls might be tanking the season. They have not done much since losing Derrick Rose for the season and loading up on money and future picks certainly sounds like throwing in the towel. However, there could be more trades to come surrounding marquee players.
The Chicago Sun-Times reports Taj Gibson is on the trading blocks as the team is hesitant to pay him $250,000 in bonuses. It was assumed that both Kirk Hinrich and Mike Dunleavy were the more likely players to get traded, but beat writer Joe Cowley reports there is more interest in Gibson and the Bulls want to move his large contract in order to create more cap space.
If the Bulls want to make a run at a max-contract player this offseason, Gibson is the trade to facilitate. However, his contract makes a trade now pointless. Gibson is currently signed to a four-year, $38 million deal. His annual salary averages out to around $8 million considering the contract is riddled in incentives. But, the Bulls are looking to give him that money.
Cowley reports that right now the Washington Wizards, Charlotte Bobcats and Los Angeles Lakers have all called in regards to Gibson's availability. The team could easily get at least one draft pick and a player in return for the defensive star. Players like Hinrich or Dunleavy might not command as great of a return.
Chicago might be denying the effort to tank, but they are clearly trying to set themselves up for a free agency run in the summer. The Sun-Times reports that Carmelo Anthony is their number one target. Trading Gibson now would certainly make sense from a financial standpoint. However, if summer comes and Anthony has gone somewhere else, the team will be in trouble.