The Chicago Bulls have Derrick Rose dealing with an ankle injury and his status will be a concern every night for head coach Tom Thibodeau and while Rose has not been seriously injured yet, if he goes down again the team may consider a trade with Taj Gibson or Jimmy Butler to get some more offensive support after he was previously shopped in the summer for Kevin Love.
According to ESPN.com, Rose was a late scratch from the game on Tuesday night against the Magic after dealing with an ankle injury and now he could be out for the matchup on Wednesday against the Bucks. Coming into the game on Tuesday, Rose, Gibson and Butler were all listed on the injury report for the Magic game, but the latter two players suited up, while Rose sat out. Rose is not dealing with a knee injury, but he sprained his ankles against the Cavaliers and now is dealing with some soreness.
Coming into the season Thibodeau said that Rose and his health would be a concern, but he also said that the roster has players that can handle things if he is injured again. The past two seasons Rose has missed significant time with injuries and while they haven't gone deep, the Bulls did make the playoffs both years. Thibodeau said that Rose likely will play on Wednesday, but that the team will be cautious with him going forward. Thibodeau said Rose was able to practice on Monday, but the team felt it was best for him to miss the Timberwolves game Saturday and the Magic on Tuesday.
The team used Kirk Hinrich in place of Rose in the game on Tuesday and they also have offensive weapons to help in his absence. The team added Pau Gasol and Doug McDermott this summer along with Nikola Mirotic and the team also has Hinrich, Tony Snell, Jimmy Butler and Aaron Brooks on the roster. Joakim Noah was also out for the game on Tuesday after dealing with an ankle injury and that put Taj Gibson in the starting lineup at center.
The Bulls came into the season as one of the favorites in the east and right now some may see them as better options than the Cavaliers, as Cleveland has struggled a bit out of the gate. LeBron James said this would be an expected start for the team, as they need time to gel together after coming together in the offseason with Kevin Love. The Cavaliers and the Bulls are considered to be
Jimmy Butler and the Bulls did not come to a contract agreement at the deadline at the end of last month, but Butler said he is hoping to stay in Chicago. The team could consider making a deal with Gibson or Butler by the trade deadline, but that will depend on how Rose plays and whether or not he is healthy. The Bulls have one of the best rosters in the east and they likely do not want to do anything that would mess with the flow of the team. The Bulls are one of the title favorites this season and if Rose is healthy, they could go all the way.