Should The Chicago Bulls Trade Taj Gibson?

The official NBA Trade deadline is 2PM CST on Thursday, February 18. And while the Chicago Bulls have yet to make any moves, there was reportedly a deal on the table.

According to ESPN’s Zach Lowe, the Chicago Bulls offered up Taj Gibson for Toronto Raptors forward Patrick Patterson. But unfortunately for Chicago, Toronto did not bite.

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While most fans were happy to hear that the Bulls front office was considering making any moves at all, some were not too thrilled with the idea put forth. While Gibson is currently averaging 8.0 points and 7.2 rebounds a game, Patterson is only putting up 6.3 points and 4.2 rebounds. And although Gibson is the more expensive option (which is more than likely why the Raptors were not interested), at this point talent should come first.

Despite this trade not going through, it still brought to light the fact that Chicago is willing to deal Gibson.

Earlier this year, most of the trade talks surrounding the Bulls involved the likes of Joakim Noah, Pau Gasol and even Nikola Mirotic. Now, it seems like the organization feels they will get the most in return for Gibson.

With Noah out for the duration of the season due to a shoulder injury, Mirotic struggling to return from an appendectomy and Gasol being someone the organization would probably do best holding on to, Gibson does seem like the next best trade option. But Chicago is not willing to part ways with one of their key players for just anyone. K.C. Johnson reports:

As of now, Bulls haven't budged from seeking player AND first-round pick in any Taj Gibson talks.
— K.C. Johnson (@KCJHoop) February 17, 2016

At first glance, fans may be hesitant to say goodbye to the 30-year-old. Since being drafted in 2009, he has become a city favorite, especially after a solid rookie year of averaging 9.0 points and 7.5 rebounds per game.

However, it is quite possible that if the Bulls are not able to deal Gibson, they will move forward without any trades.