With the NBA trade deadline quickly approaching in two weeks any player running off an expiring contract is up for grabs. Teams would rather trade a player than allow him to walk away for nothing in return. That appears to be the case for Taj Gibson who is not a free agent until 2017, but is currently getting buried on the depth chart. As the Bulls consider making moves after the All-Star break, Gibson could be on the chopping block.
According to SportingNews.com, the Bulls are receiving plenty of interest in Gibson as the deadline approaches and might be willing to deal at the right price. Right now, Gibson is simply expendable despite his talent level. The Bulls are working on a rotation with Pau Gasol and Nikola Mirotic that has Gibson getting lost in the shuffle. The forward is still being productive on the court when he gets the chance to be, currently averaging 11.0 points and 7.0 rebounds per game off the bench. Those numbers are extremely intriguing to other teams looking for long-term trades to help for the future.
Chicago's focus in terms of money is on the pending deal for Jimmy Butler. The swingman rejected one contract offer from the Bulls and has put negotiations on hold for the moment. Butler is one of the top young players in the league right now and the Bulls have no intentions of letting him get away. But, cap casualties could be the result of a big contract and Gibson would likely be first on the block.
Chicago is not going to deal Gibson just to deal him. While the team is ideally looking for cap-friendly contracts to take on, they also could be perfectly happy sitting still and letting the deadline pass by. SportingNews.com writes that the Los Angeles Lakers, Portland Trail Blazers and Toronto Raptors are interested in striking a deal. The Lakers could be looking towards Gibson as insurance for Kobe Bryant next year while Portland could be preparing for LaMarcus Aldridge to walk away in free agency.
If truly available, Gibson will have a lot of interest in his skills. Teams like the Lakers and Portland have assets with expiring contracts that could certainly be dealt to the Bulls in exchange for the forward. Fans should expect Chicago to be very picky when it comes to getting something in return for Gibson.
