The Chicago Bulls looked at a Taj Gibson trade this summer and there is a chance Gibson, Jimmy Butler or Tony Snell could get moved if Derrick Rose gets seriously injured again and this comes as Joakim Noah and Pau Gasol have said this team is good enough to win over the Cleveland Cavaliers in the east to make an NBA title run.
The Bulls lost to the Cavaliers in the preseason and while those games don't mean much, both sides took it seriously and while the Cavs won, the Bulls are confident. Both Noah and Pau Gasol said after the game that they feel the team can still make a run at the title even if the Cavaliers are great this season. Noah has been the best defensive player in the league and Gasol has tons of experience from his time with the Lakers. The success this season likely will depend on the health of Rose, who has missed nearly two full seasons over the past two years.
Over the summer the team flirted with the Kevin Love trade and Taj Gibson was at the center of those talks. While that did not work out, other reports soon emerged that Gibson was not happy with his bench role, but he later came out and refuted that. Marc Stein from ESPN.com tweeted that the Bulls could look at making a deal with Gibson down the line, but that likely only would come if Rose was seriously injured again. Many think the Bulls can be just as good as the Cavaliers this season and it's very likely that they are the two teams left at the end in the east.
Gasol could be the big difference this season, as he brings experience and strong work on both ends of the floor and he is a major upgrade over Carlos Boozer. The Bulls used the amnesty clause on Boozer and they really had no choice with all the money he was making. Boozer was productive for the minutes he played, but not for the contract he had and that led to the team adding Gasol. Despite his age, Gasol still averaged 17 points and nearly 10 rebounds in 60 games for the Lakers last season and now he has the chance to do it with the Bulls.
The team is hopeful that Gasol, along with Nikola Mirotic and rookie Doug McDermott can give the team a boost with Derrick Rose back healthy. The team signed Mirotic after getting his draft rights a few years ago and they think having Gasol will help his transition, as he played for Real Madrid in Europe and both have familiar backgrounds.
The Bulls also added Aaron Brooks and while he is not a superstar player, he is an upgrade over DJ Augustin as the backup for Rose. The team will need to have Rose back healthy to really make a deep run and while they made the playoffs the past two years without him, this season will be tough. The Cavaliers have a stacked roster and while the Bulls overall could be better, it likely will rest on how many games Rose can play and if he is back to his old self.
