Taj Gibson is reportedly on the trading block—again. The question is, where would be best for the 30-year-old to end up?
The Chicago Bulls are in the process of restoring their status as one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference. Not everything has gone according to plan, but Fred Hoiberg has his team competing for an elusive championship.
In order to solidify the rotation, reports have surfaced that Chicago is willing to make a trade.
Chicago always seems to be at the heart of trade rumors. Whether founded in truth or speculation, a vast majority of the Bulls’ roster has been mentioned as a potential option to be dealt.
According to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports, the Bulls are willing to trade versatile big man Taj Gibson and former Defensive Player of the Year Joakim Noah for perimeter help.
"Executives around the league, and people have told me, that the Bulls are very determined to add a talented wing player..and I’ve been told that the Bulls are open to, whether it’s Joakim Noah, Taj Gibson—maybe not both of them, but either of them—if there’s a deal out there that they can bring in the best possible wing player available, they’re open to it. That’s a direction they’re going to go in."
Having already covered the bases on Noah, it’s time to shift attention to Gibson.
Gibson has been involved in trade rumors for the better part of the past three seasons, which makes this news less than surprising. He’s been buried in the Bulls’ rotation, to some extent, and routinely shines when given significant playing time.
Thus far in 2015-16, Gibson is averaging 24.8 minutes of action per contest, posting 7.5 points, 6.9 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.1 blocks on 52.0 percent shooting from the field. He’s pulling down 2.8 offensive rebounds per game, including an average of 3.7—a number that would be good for No. 2 in the NBA—in his 15 starts.
The question is, which team is best suited to provide him with the opportunity to maximize his talents?
Next: The Missing Piece?