The Chicago Bulls will not escape the trade rumors until the deadline has past. Even then the team might still get tossed into talks as they remain hot and cold on the year. With injuries stacking up and expiring contracts assigned to some of the team's biggest names, they are the perfect target for trade talk over the next month. With reports coming out that Joakim Noah is unhappy in Chicago, he along with Pau Gasol and Taj Gibson are reportedly up for trade talks.
According to Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times, Noah is unhappy with his role on the team after he lost his starting job. While the center is trying not to be a distraction, he is reportedly not liking the way head coach Fred Hoiberg is using him. Following his return from a shoulder injury, Noah is back on the bench and admits he is not happy with the limited role he has this year.
"I mean, I don't know what to say. I wasn't expecting to play such a limited role," Noah said, via the Chicago Tribune. "I'm trying to stay focused on what I can do to help. That's it. It's not about complaining. It's about trying to find solutions. I want to be part of solutions and try to help figure it out."
Noah's benching comes at a bad time. The center has an expiring contract to his name and is likely looking for a big deal in the offseason. That will not come if he is playing off the bench and not doing well with it. Or course the report of Noah being unhappy is followed by trade rumors surrounding the center and his teammates.
Rich Bucher of Bleacher Report is reporting that the Bulls are checking on interest for Noah, Taj Gibson and Pau Gasol. Bucher writes that team is looking for younger talent in a defensive win player or a stretch four player and considering the depth they have at the front line, those three players have been deemed expendable. For Noah and Gibson, trade talk is nothing new. However, some Bulls fans might be surprised to see Gasol's name on the list.
The Chicago Tribune has reported that Gasol intends on opting out of the final year of his contract in Chicago in order to capitalize on the increasing salary caps. There is no guarantee he returns to the Bulls next year. That has forced his name into trade talk as the Bulls might aim to get something in return instead of letting him walk away for nothing. The Bulls are benefitting from the emergence of Bobby Portis along with Nikola Mirotic and Doug McDermott. That makes at least one of the veterans available in trades. Whether or not Chicago actually follows through with a deal is unknown.
