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5 Likely Most-Active Teams During NBA Offseason

By Ryan Blackburn

Jan 5, 2016; Providence, RI, USA; Boston Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge (left) speaks to fans during the first half of a game between the Providence Friars and the Marquette Golden Eagles at Dunkin Donuts Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark L. Baer-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 5, 2016; Providence, RI, USA; Boston Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge (left) speaks to fans during the first half of a game between the Providence Friars and the Marquette Golden Eagles at Dunkin Donuts Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark L. Baer-USA TODAY Sports /
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Oct 30, 2015; Auburn Hills, MI, USA; Chicago Bulls guard Jimmy Butler (21) talks to guard Derrick Rose (1) during overtime against the Detroit Pistons at The Palace of Auburn Hills. The Pistons won 98-94. Mandatory Credit: Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 30, 2015; Auburn Hills, MI, USA; Chicago Bulls guard Jimmy Butler (21) talks to guard Derrick Rose (1) during overtime against the Detroit Pistons at The Palace of Auburn Hills. The Pistons won 98-94. Mandatory Credit: Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports /

Chicago Bulls: Figuring out an Identity

With Derrick Rose, Jimmy Butler, and a whole bunch of questions, something has to give.

Pau Gasol and Joakim Noah are both free agents in the upcoming NBA offseason, or at least will be since Gasol will most certainly decline his player option. Those players represent two of the most effective big men the Bulls have had in recent years.

The Bulls are a team on the precipice of contention as well as collapse. One delicate push could force them either direction. It starts with identifying the face of the franchise. Both Rose and Butler hold a legitimate claim, but the past year proved that they cannot play together.

Each star needs the ball in his hands to be effective, but neither can space the floor effectively for the other. Butler has a career three-point percentage of .328, while Rose is worse at .302. In the spacing age of basketball, at least one of those guys needs a major boost.

Once the franchise chooses their marquee player, the other will need to be traded, because they won’t accept coming off the bench. The Bulls could choose to go forward with both players, but it would likely be at the expense of wins like it was this year.

They could also trade both, but the Bulls are an organization that likes to win, and a full scale rebuild would be met with mixed feelings. Either way, expect many rumors and a bit of controversy this NBA offseason.