The Chicago Bulls were mentioned as a team interested in the Kevin Love trade earlier in the offseason, but now with Pau Gasol in the fold for Derrick Rose, the proposed trades involving Joakim Noah, Taj Gibson and Jimmy Butler are off and Chicago now feels it has the pieces in place to make a deep run in the playoffs as long as Rose can stay healthy and now a Love trade could be back on says ESPN's Marc Stein.
According to ESPN.com, the Bulls were a main target for the Kevin Love trade earlier in the offseason, as he said he would love to play there. Love has made it clear that he wants to make the playoffs and getting out of Minnesota would be the best way to do that. Pro Basketball Talk reported that the Bulls would consider trading Noah or Gibson to get a deal done, but clearly any thought of that is now off with Gasol in. The team wanted Carmelo badly, but they not have a solid team that should make a nice run this season.
The Chicago Bulls have reeled in Pau Gasol in free agency and the team has released Carlos Boozer on amnesty after a trade did not materialize and now the Bulls can manage more on the free agent market and names like Shawn Marion, Jimmer Fredette or Greg Monroe could be potential options for Tom Thibodeau and Derrick Rose, as the team still could use depth in some areas.
The Bulls aimed for Carmelo Anthony this offseason and they ended up with Pau Gasol and while those two players will have very different impacts, Chicago is still primed for a playoff run if Derrick Rose stays healthy. According to ESPN.com, Gasol is signing a multiyear deal with the Bulls and Chicago now has used the amnesty on Carlos Boozer to remove his contract from the cap. A move has been expected with Boozer all offseason since he made over $15 million last year and once his salary is off the books, the Bulls will have the flexibility to make more moves.
The team is bringing back Kirk Hinrich and after signing Gasol they also received news that they are getting Nikola Mirotic from Spain after a couple years of him being overseas. The Bulls feel that they are a piece or two away from being a championship team and while they missed out on Carmelo Anthony, the team still has Rose coming back, Joakim Noah, Taj Gibson and Jimmy Butler as well as a solid young shooter in Doug McDermott from the draft.
The Bulls won 48 games last season and their biggest issue has been scoring and they are hoping Gasol can help with that along with a healthy Rose coming back. The team was the best defensive squad in the NBA and they ranked first in points allowed, but the team was last in points per game and now Gasol can help that a bit. Gasol is a much better offensive player than Boozer and he also has continued to put up strong numbers despite his age and now he moves to another big organization after playing with the Lakers for years.
