My Chicago Friend Thinks The Bulls Will Be Sellers Real Soon...

[Phantom255x]

Probably not anything new to everyone here, but the Bulls are currently 16-18, which is 10th in the East, and after a great start to the season, they seem to be going nowhere again, just like last season.

My friend (a Bulls fan also) and even a lot of Chicago websites/reports think Fred Hoiberg will get fired sometime in the next 1-2 months. Even if his job is safe now, the Bulls have a BRUTAL 20-game stretch coming up (which includes a West Coast Trip facing teams such as @OKC, @GSW, @HOU, etc.).

Good chance the Bulls are something like 8-12 or 7-13 in that stretch, which would put them 5+ games below .500 and likely well out of the 8 seed in the East. Add to the fact the issues Rondo is having with the team, and it's likely the Bulls will decide to start rebuilding soon.

So while Jimmy Butler is the name that will pop up most in trade rumors from the Bulls, I think he is a pipe dream in Boston because the price will be STEEP (2017 Nets Pick + Smart OR Bradley + Filler/Future Non-Brooklyn Picks). I also don't see Butler as the guy who threads the needle for us (makes us legit contenders). Butler NOT worth the price.

How about Taj Gibson though? Any interest in him? He can be had for a very reasonable, somewhat cheap price. He would be a rental, but would help a ton in helping the team progress and hopefully help us win 1-2 playoff series this time around. High energy rebounder (huge need), and can score some points as well. And if we whiff in FA and/or the trade market, maybe Taj Gibson can be re-signed by Ainge as a Plan C or D.

What do you guys think?

[BMark]

If I had my choice of all the Bulls' bigs I would want Robin Lopez.  He is an excellent offensive rebounder and is a hard-nosed defender.  He is signed through 2018-2019 at $14 million per year.

[Phantom255x]

If I had my choice of all the Bulls' bigs I would want Robin Lopez.  He is an excellent offensive rebounder and is a hard-nosed defender.  He is signed through 2018-2019 at $14 million per year.

I was thinking of Lopez actually, but I think Ainge wants to have flexibility going into next summer even if there's only a slim possibility someone like Griffin or Hayward is available (they probably aren't, but Ainge would like to see his options still..).

Lopez eats into the cap space then and makes that potential move impossible though (unless a bunch of trades are made to open up cap space).

[Smitty77]

Probably not anything new to everyone here, but the Bulls are currently 16-18, which is 10th in the East, and after a great start to the season, they seem to be going nowhere again, just like last season.

My friend (a Bulls fan also) and even a lot of Chicago websites/reports think Fred Hoiberg will get fired sometime in the next 1-2 months. Even if his job is safe now, the Bulls have a BRUTAL 20-game stretch coming up (which includes a West Coast Trip facing teams such as @OKC, @GSW, @HOU, etc.).

Good chance the Bulls are something like 8-12 or 7-13 in that stretch, which would put them 5+ games below .500 and likely well out of the 8 seed in the East. Add to the fact the issues Rondo is having with the team, and it's likely the Bulls will decide to start rebuilding soon.

So while Jimmy Butler is the name that will pop up most in trade rumors from the Bulls, I think he is a pipe dream in Boston because the price will be STEEP (2017 Nets Pick + Smart OR Bradley + Filler/Future Non-Brooklyn Picks). I also don't see Butler as the guy who threads the needle for us (makes us legit contenders). Butler NOT worth the price.

How about Taj Gibson though? Any interest in him? He can be had for a very reasonable, somewhat cheap price. He would be a rental, but would help a ton in helping the team progress and hopefully help us win 1-2 playoff series this time around. High energy rebounder (huge need), and can score some points as well. And if we whiff in FA and/or the trade market, maybe Taj Gibson can be re-signed by Ainge as a Plan C or D.

What do you guys think?

Taj may be a HIGH ENERGY REBOUNDER, but he is ONLY producing 6.9 rebounds per game. 

No thanks.

Smitty77

[Phantom255x]

Probably not anything new to everyone here, but the Bulls are currently 16-18, which is 10th in the East, and after a great start to the season, they seem to be going nowhere again, just like last season.

My friend (a Bulls fan also) and even a lot of Chicago websites/reports think Fred Hoiberg will get fired sometime in the next 1-2 months. Even if his job is safe now, the Bulls have a BRUTAL 20-game stretch coming up (which includes a West Coast Trip facing teams such as @OKC, @GSW, @HOU, etc.).

Good chance the Bulls are something like 8-12 or 7-13 in that stretch, which would put them 5+ games below .500 and likely well out of the 8 seed in the East. Add to the fact the issues Rondo is having with the team, and it's likely the Bulls will decide to start rebuilding soon.

So while Jimmy Butler is the name that will pop up most in trade rumors from the Bulls, I think he is a pipe dream in Boston because the price will be STEEP (2017 Nets Pick + Smart OR Bradley + Filler/Future Non-Brooklyn Picks). I also don't see Butler as the guy who threads the needle for us (makes us legit contenders). Butler NOT worth the price.

How about Taj Gibson though? Any interest in him? He can be had for a very reasonable, somewhat cheap price. He would be a rental, but would help a ton in helping the team progress and hopefully help us win 1-2 playoff series this time around. High energy rebounder (huge need), and can score some points as well. And if we whiff in FA and/or the trade market, maybe Taj Gibson can be re-signed by Ainge as a Plan C or D.

What do you guys think?

Taj may be a HIGH ENERGY REBOUNDER, but he is ONLY producing 6.9 rebounds per game. 

No thanks.

Smitty77

He is also averaging 12 PPG, and honestly would be a better PF option than Olynyk right now.

I'm all for it if the price is reasonably cheap, which it should be.

Like Jerebko last April in the playoffs, Gibson could be a guy who gives you much needed high energy minutes during the playoffs, and veteran experience to all the young players on the team.

[Ilikesports17]

I love Taj.

[Boris Badenov]

Probably not anything new to everyone here, but the Bulls are currently 16-18, which is 10th in the East, and after a great start to the season, they seem to be going nowhere again, just like last season.

My friend (a Bulls fan also) and even a lot of Chicago websites/reports think Fred Hoiberg will get fired sometime in the next 1-2 months. Even if his job is safe now, the Bulls have a BRUTAL 20-game stretch coming up (which includes a West Coast Trip facing teams such as @OKC, @GSW, @HOU, etc.).

Good chance the Bulls are something like 8-12 or 7-13 in that stretch, which would put them 5+ games below .500 and likely well out of the 8 seed in the East. Add to the fact the issues Rondo is having with the team, and it's likely the Bulls will decide to start rebuilding soon.

So while Jimmy Butler is the name that will pop up most in trade rumors from the Bulls, I think he is a pipe dream in Boston because the price will be STEEP (2017 Nets Pick + Smart OR Bradley + Filler/Future Non-Brooklyn Picks). I also don't see Butler as the guy who threads the needle for us (makes us legit contenders). Butler NOT worth the price.

How about Taj Gibson though? Any interest in him? He can be had for a very reasonable, somewhat cheap price. He would be a rental, but would help a ton in helping the team progress and hopefully help us win 1-2 playoff series this time around. High energy rebounder (huge need), and can score some points as well. And if we whiff in FA and/or the trade market, maybe Taj Gibson can be re-signed by Ainge as a Plan C or D.

What do you guys think?

Taj may be a HIGH ENERGY REBOUNDER, but he is ONLY producing 6.9 rebounds per game. 

No thanks.



Smitty77

Yeah, his rebound rate (13%) is only slightly higher than Amir's (12%).

He's also 2 years older than AJ, which surprised me. But he came into the league at 24 vs. 18.

[Phantom255x]

I love Taj.

I love Taj Gibson and Robin Lopez both. Underrated IMO.

[SHAQATTACK]

Who they gonna pay to take Rondo.....

[footey]

No one on the Bulls interests me. Pretty lame/boring roster.

[jpotter33]

I'm still all in for Butler. Hard to imagine that we're winning a championship with Crowder as our starting 3, especially without major upgrades elsewhere.

[jpotter33]

http://www.fanragsports.com/nba/time-little-self-reflection-gar-forman-john-paxson/

The Bulls management is such a mess. I remember this summer how many of us were literally "lol'ing" at the Bulls signing Rondo and Wade to go with Butler, regardless of how terribly they fit together.

It'll be interesting to see how they handle this situation. If they really try and "reload" around this core of Butler and Wade and make another silly free agent signing this summer, such as Milsap or Ibaka, they'll have to be considered one of the more poorly run organizations in the league.

[Phantom255x]

Who they gonna pay to take Rondo.....

Maybe the Kings? FO with a new arena want Boogie and the Kings to make the playoffs as an 8 seed.

Rondo wasn't horrible on the Kings last season.

Their FO is such a dysfunctional group that it might actually happen. 

[Phantom255x]

I'm still all in for Butler. Hard to imagine that we're winning a championship with Crowder as our starting 3, especially without major upgrades elsewhere.

My problem is the price will be extremely steep.

A Top-2 Pick plus a lot more for Jimmy Butler? No thanks.

[SHAQATTACK]

They should keep Ronda ...I mean Rondo

A coach firing is inevitable