After a disappoint start to the season, the front office have opened their doors to potential trade talks that could lead Taj Gibson or Joakim Noah out of Chicago. The Chicago Bulls are 15-11 in their first 26 games of the regular season, but have struggled to find passion and energy within each another. Jimmy Butler has openly criticized the lack of effort from his teammates throughout the season.
“Executives around the league, and people have told me, that the Bulls are very determined to add a talented wing player. Tony Snell has been given a lot of opportunities and he hasn’t established himself, 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. They need more shooting…to shape this team towards more of an offensive-minded group.” Adrian Wojnarowski
Both Tony Snell and Doug McDermott have been given multiple chances at the starting small forward position, but both players continue to struggle. While McDermott is a valuable piece of on offense, his defense leads him to become a liability on the court. The Bulls desperately need help at the small forward position, especially since Mike Dunleavy Jr.’s return is not coming any time soon.
Fred Hoiberg has begun playing Bobby Portis in the past few games, which could lead to indications the Bulls are preparing themselves for a trade in the upcoming weeks.
