Chicago Bulls Rumors: Recapping the Latest News and Speculation

The Chicago Bulls are in the third-largest city in the US. They are one of the most popular teams in the country. They are one of the biggest road draws in the NBA.

All of that means they are also one of the favorite teams in the NBA for writers to write about. 

When the trade deadline approaches, that means there's a lot of trade rumors getting floated. Not all trade rumors have equal validity, though. Here are the most widely talked-about rumors and the chances that they are going to get done. 

Monta Ellis

Tim Kawakani of the San Jose Mercury News tweets, "NBA source notes probably most sensible GSW trade is Ellis for Luol Deng & a few people on both teams like it. But Bulls won't do it."

Monta Ellis is a lot like Derrick Rose. They're about the same height. Ellis is an explosive scorer and a capable passer. He would certainly look interesting next to Derrick Rose, but he would look short, too. 

Furthermore, the likelihood is that you couldn't take Luol Deng from Tom Thibodeau without first killing Thibodeau and then wrenching his fingers off with a crowbar. Deng just isn't going anywhere without getting a lot more than Ellis in return. 

Some might question that. Ellis is a superior offensive talent to Deng. The reality is, though, that Thibodeau's opinion factors in more than yours or mine. His system relies heavily on Deng.

When Deng was gone, the Bulls gave up 10 more points per game. He does make a difference. That's why this trade is unlikely. 

Chances of a Trade: 2 Percent

Pau Gasol

Pau Gasol is pretty much on the market. On that we can agree. There have been numerous rumors which suggest that the Chicago Bulls may be trying to work their way into that market. Chris Sheridan most recently writes, 

"

Chicago has shown interest in Gasol, according to sources. One source says the Bulls like their team but have doubts about their ability to beat Miami without making one more move. Chicago would give the Lakers Carlos Boozer in a heartbeat, but that won't get it done for Gasol. The Lakers would likely want Luol Deng thrown into the trade, which would be a deal breaker for the Bulls.

"

Since the report goes on to say that there's no way a deal gets worked out either way, there's no way this works out. 

An interesting thing is when you look at contracts, players with more years generally get bigger contracts. Boozer's contract of $13.5 million this year isn't really as "bad" as people make it out to be and Boozer isn't as bad a player as people are making him out to be. He has a PER of 20.0. There isn't a player in the league with at least seven years experience who has a PER over 20 and makes less money. 

This deal isn't likely to happen because it's hard to manage a deal where finances work out and where the Bulls aren't getting too little in return. 

Chances of a Trade: 10 Percent

Dwight Howard

There are reports—though now a little old—that Howard would be willing to come to Chicago. While these reports are the oldest, they remain the most realistic. 

The reason these are the most realistic is because these are the unique reports where the Bulls front office has confirmed they have taken it into consideration. 

The question here becomes value and price. If Howard doesn't commit to extending, there's no reason for the Bulls to do the deal. The price just becomes to high. 

Even if he does commit, the question becomes: At what point is the price too high? There are reports it would cost at least two of the Bulls three of Carlos Boozer, Luol Deng and Joakim Noah, one of their backup bigs and a draft choice.

That's a lot of depth for a guy who you don't want to give the ball to at the end of the game.

Chance of a trade: 25 percent