The Chicago Bulls are building a very strong roster for the 2014 season and after the trade for Kevin Love with Taj Gibson, Doug McDermott and possibly Joakim Noah did not work out, the team has added Pau Gasol and now names like Jordan Crawford, Ramon Sessions and Jermaine O'Neal are options in free agency to help add more to the bench.
According to ESPN.com, the Bulls, NY Knicks and Pacers are all chasing Crawford and he also could be an option for the Lakers and the Bulls. The Bulls have the chance to be a very strong team and it comes after they added Pau Gasol and Aaron Brooks and the team also has rookies with experience in Doug McDermott and Nikola Mirotic. McDermott was a draft day trade for Gary Harris and he comes in after four years in college, while Mirotic was playing in Europe and now is coming over.
The Bulls are hoping that Rose can stay healthy this season and that will be a major factor in whether the Bulls compete in the eastern conference or not. The team signed Aaron Brooks as a free agent this offseason and he is an upgrade over DJ Augustin as the backup for Derrick Rose this year. Brooks is a solid shooter and he averaged 9.0 points and 3.2 assists last season while playing for the Denver Nuggets and Houston Rockets and he could be a key player this coming season.
Pau Gasol comes in and he should be a fantastic upgrade over Carlos Boozer, who was still productive but not like he was earlier in his career. Boozer was getting paid way too much and that is why the Bulls used the amnesty clause on him and now the team is hoping Gasol can help get the team over the hump. The Bulls should be one of the stronger teams in the eastern conference this season and it comes after they made a number of solid moves in free agency and the draft.
The Bulls thought about trading McDermott and Mirotic along with Gibson for Kevin Love, but the Timberwolves liked the deal from the Cavs more. The Bulls also kept Kirk Hinrich this offseason and that gives the team another reserve player off the bench and he is a strong shooter off the bench. The Bulls were ranked 30th in the league last season in scoring on points per game and that is one reason why the team went so hard after Carmelo Anthony.
Rose coming back should help with the scoring and so will adding McDermott, as he was one of the best shooters and scorers in college basketball last season. The team was ranked first in the league in points per game allowed last season and Gasol should help keep that up along with Noah and Gibson up front.