The Chicago Bulls took a punch to the face Saturday night after revealing Joakim Noah would miss four to six months with a shoulder injury, which is considered to be a season-ending injury. It’ll be a tough decision for the Bulls to determine what their plans for Joakim Noah will be this summer in free agency, but any trade talks they’re currently in are now put on hold or they’re being altered.
Before the season began, the Bulls were expected to trade one of their big men by the trade deadline for a talented wing player to help balance out the roster. With Bobby Portis entering the rotation with full confidence, it felt more evident than ever that one of the Bulls big men would be on their way out.
The Bulls entire plan changed in the blink of an eye when they saw Joakim Noah painfully running off the court with his second shoulder injury. At that moment, any trade involving Pau Gasol or Taj Gibson either came off the table or the Bulls had to package in more players in order to receive a wing player and a big man as well. If the Bulls were to trade Taj Gibson or Pau Gasol, that would automatically make Cameron Bairstow or Cristiano Felicio a rotation player if another injury occurs, which would be painful to watch in the playoffs.
The concept of a trade to bring a talented wing player isn’t off the table just yet, but it has things more complex after losing a big man like Joakim Noah. The front office would have to go against what history has written about them and make a complex move involving multiple assets, but don’t hold your breath just yet.
