The Chicago Bulls have high expectations for this season after getting Derrick Rose back healthy, but with Taj Gibson unhappy about being on the bench behind starters Joakim Noah and Pau Gasol, the team may consider picking back up on the trade talk with Gibson from earlier in the season and this comes as Ray Allen and Jordan Crawford are potential free agent options for the team.
According to Pro Basketball Talk, Gibson is likely coming off of the bench this season behind Pau Gasol and Joakim Noah and reports have him not pleased with that development. Gibson likely is also a bit peeved about being mentioned in trade rumors so much this summer, but if his discontent is real, he should get used to that because it probably will happen again. Gibson has been very solid while playing for the Bulls and he has always been a team-first player and that is why he doesn't want to make the issue a distraction.
CSN Chicago reported that Gibson had been hoping to finally get into the starting lineup on a permanent basis this season, but that thought came before the team added Gasol. Last season Gibson was very impressive during the summer in camp leading into the start of the schedule, but he ended up only starting eight games while coming off the bench in over 70. Pro Basketball Talk reports that Gasol and Noah both started every game they played last season with the Lakers and Bulls respectively and that could be a reason why that happens again.
Gasol is the big new free agent signing for the Bulls and Noah is an all-star player who is not coming off of the bench and since the Bulls can't realistically start all three, it's Gibson as the odd man out. Noah ended up in the MVP voting and he might be the best player on the team apart from Rose and that also factors into the starting lineup. Gibson was spelled by Carlos Boozer last season and now he likely will be in the Boozer role while Gasol starts.
Tom Thibodeau has said in the past that he sees all three players as starters, but once the team signed Gasol, it was fairly clear that all three would not be in the lineup at the same time. While Gibson has been a very good player for the Bulls in recent years, Gasol was going to be the starter once he signed and now he will have to join the mix or the Bulls will have to consider making a move. The Bulls are as deep as anyone in the east and if Derrick Rose can stay healthy they can be a factor against the Cavaliers and LeBron James.
Gibson has three years remaining on his contract so a team that trades for him at least will have him under control for a few years. Gibson likely isn't going anywhere though, as the Bulls have put together a team to make a run in the playoffs and after winning 48 games without Derrick Rose for most of the season, they should be able to equal or best that number this year with Gasol, Doug McDermott and a healthy Rose in the fold.
