Bulls Rumors: Breaking Down Taj Gibson Trade Whispers and Ray Allen Buzz
Thick in the Eastern Conference race, Pau Gasol and the Chicago Bulls could use some reinforcements.
Cleveland is surging, Toronto looks great and Atlanta is a phenomenon worth viewing, so the Bulls may need more than the current roster in order to keep pace.
The good news is that the upcoming trade deadline usually makes it easier for a contender such as Chicago to wheel and deal as rebuilding teams host fire sales.
The bad news is that the Bulls have little in the way of tradeable assets. Then again, as the rumor mill hits a fever pitch, the team might upgrade through free agency as opposed to anything else.
Ray Allen's Decision
While it isn't The Decision or anything of the sort, a certain veteran sharpshooter places a lot of contenders in a tough position as he nears a decision on his playing future.
According to ESPN's Ryen Russillo, Ray Allen will decide whether to play or not after the break:
The Bulls are not on the list, but Russillo's colleague, Nick Borges, does list the Bulls as a team with interest in Allen's services.
The connected dots all make sense when one recalls that Jordan Schultz of NBC Sports Radio reported in December that Allen considers the Bulls in play if he is to return:
The suitor list is quite a mixed bag. Atlanta may be a favorite, but how willing are the Hawks to mess with the pristine chemistry that has them atop the Eastern Conference? Cleveland may make more sense in this regard, especially with Allen's relationship with LeBron James and the Cavaliers' status as contenders a big factor.
Chicago does make sense, though, should Allen choose to lace up the sneakers again. The Bulls could use more rotational sharpshooters to go along with Mike Dunleavy. Allen fits the bill—just last year he shot 38 percent from long range on 26.5 minutes per game.
If luck smiles on Chicago, the Bulls will be much better with Allen in the fold. If not, there are other ways to upgrade the rotation.
The Taj Gibson Conundrum
At this point, it is easier to name a week in which Taj Gibson is not brought up in rumors.
This time, Sean Deveney of Sporting News reports that the USC product is a hot item on the block with the deadline near:
"Gibson has been connected to much of the league the past few months, from Los Angeles [Lakers] to Toronto to Phoenix [Suns] to Detroit [Pistons] to Portland [Trail Blazers]."
The problem is, Yahoo Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski recently told the Spiegel and Mannelly Show that he has yet to hear Gibson's name float around in talks as of late, per CBS Chicago:
"Do they have to look at the cap and make a decision on Taj? It’s possible. But I don’t know that they have to do that now. I haven’t heard anything along those lines that they were looking to shake it up that way. That doesn’t mean it’s not true, but I haven’t heard one team mention to me that they felt Taj was available.
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Got all that?
The bottom line is simple here. Gibson is a great trade chip, if not the only true chip Chicago has if it wants to upgrade the roster in a win-now way. On 28.3 minutes per night, he posts a 10.7/6.8/1.3 slash line and a 16.08 PER, according to ESPN.com, as well as an impressive 49 percent shooting from the field.
The hiccup is twofold. Gibson will run a trade partner $8.5 million next season and $8.95 million in 2016, per Spotrac. On the Chicago side of things, he is a critical piece of the puzzle, especially with Joakim Noah in and out of the lineup.
Any potential move the Bulls consider comes with a serious amount of risk. For a team in contention in an unpredictable conference, the risk-reward dynamic is surely intimidating.
All stats and info via ESPN.com unless otherwise specified.
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