NBA Rumors: Jamal Crawford, Arron Afflalo and Players the Chicago Bulls Need

With a pause on the inevitable NBA free agent and trade madness, the rumor mill has not taken a break, churning out NBA rumors like it’s going out of style.

Judging from all the rumors so far, the Chicago Bulls are searching high and low for that missing piece at shooting guard. They have found several candidates for that position as well as some help off the bench.

The Bulls have shown all of the following players interest over the last few days, but we’ll see if Chicago can actually pull the trigger on any of these deals.

(These rumors stem from an article on Hoops World)

Jamal Crawford

The Chicago Bulls showed interest in Jamal Crawford last season, but the Atlanta Hawks would not pull the trigger on the deal.

With Crawford a UFA, the Hawks wouldn’t stand to gain much if he left. That has to make the proposed sign-and-trade from the Bulls intriguing to Atlanta.

With the Bulls sending Ronnie Brewer and possibly picks to Atlanta for the services of Crawford, the Bulls would have the shooting guard that could help them beat the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference Championship.

Arron Afflalo

While this move would be the more difficult to pull off, if the Bulls want it bad enough then they can make it happen via restricted free agency. Although, the Denver Nuggets do have a right to match any offer on one of their RFAs.

That’s why a sign-and-trade right off the bat is the smart thing for both parties. With Nene gone and half the team stuck playing for China, it’s time to think about the future for the Nuggets.

If Chicago could get a shooting guard like Afflalo roaming the court, they would be better at that position at both ends of the court. While Afflalo has a solid offensive game, it’s his defense that would have the Bulls ecstatic.

Caron Butler

While it may be too expensive or not exactly the right fit for the coaching staff, I think Caron Butler is the player that can take the Bulls to the next level.

Not only would Butler become the backup plan if Carlos Boozer goes down hurt or just decides not to hit any shots, he could play small forward at times and allow Luol Deng to move to the two.

The Bulls know they need help at shooting guard, but they can’t forget the need for a stellar backup for some of their injury-prone stars.

Check back for more on the National Basketball Association as it comes, and check out Bleacher Report’s NBA Page to get your fill of all things basketball.

Follow @Donald_Wood