Bulls Rumors: Why Nobody Should Expect Pau Gasol in the Windy City

There are currently more Pau Gasol to the Chicago Bulls rumors swirling. We thought this died when Derrick Rose killed the rumor a few weeks ago, but this is a deal that apparently doesn't want to go away.

According to ESPN's Marc Stein, the Bulls are exploring avenues to land the 31-year-old Gasol, and have made this their priority since it's decidedly evident that landing Dwight Howard is a long shot.

But the main hold-up to this deal is that the Lakers lack interest in Carlos Boozer, who the Bulls would seek to ship to Los Angeles. There's no reason for the Lakers to pull the trigger on such a deal, unless Luol Deng is also included.

But we know the Bulls aren't going to trade Boozer and Deng for Gasol, so it's apparent that the Bulls and Lakers aren't seeing eye-to-eye with this trade.

The Lakers are insistent upon getting back a certifiable star for Gasol, and there are certainly better options out there than Boozer.

Furthermore, does Gasol really enhance the Bulls' roster? Boozer has actually been playing at a high level lately. There will always be the obvious defensive concerns, but it's not like the veteran Gasol is a substantial upgrade over Boozer.

Because of this, the Bulls are going to be hesitant to pull the trigger on any deal for Gasol.

Even if a third team gets involved, there will still likely be barriers. First of all, who is going to want Boozer and his hefty contract?

And secondly, who are the other players the Bulls would need to include to make such a deal work? Would the Bulls be wise to give up Boozer, youngster Jimmy Butler and a draft pick to land a player who's not much of an upgrade? 

These are the questions the Bulls must analyze, and it's simply improbable that they'll find a reasonable deal. 

In a perfect scenario, the Bulls would find a way to cast off just Boozer and bring in Gasol, but perfect scenarios are rare. No team is going to want to inherit Boozer without also receiving a quality young player, such as C.J. Watson, Butler or Omer Asik.

There are just too many complications to this deal getting done. Because of this, there's no reason to expect Pau Gasol in the Windy City anytime soon.

Truthfully, missing out on Gasol is not the end of the world. The Bulls currently boast the league's best record, and they're poised to make a playoff run with their current roster.

Quite frankly, it would be downright foolish of them to trade away numerous core pieces to land Gasol, who's past his prime.

There's nothing wrong with standing pat at the trade deadline when you possess the league's best record, and the Bulls must be careful to not make a decision that compromises their depth and causes regrets come May and June.