Taj Gibson ended the season with a lot of pain and agony. Gibson underwent ankle surgery in June which will keep him out for at least four months. Gibson is expected to make a full recovery before the regular season begins on October 27th against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
As Fred Hoiberg’s plans start to unfold, it seems Taj Gibson is the odd man out of the rotation. Coincidentally, he’s also the one player with exceptional trade value because of his economical friendly contract. Despite the talent level of a player, it’s very possible for them to fall out of the rotation; just ask David Lee the former Allstar.
It was never in Taj Gibson’s luck to obtain a full-time starters position. If he wasn’t playing behind Tyrus Thomas, then he was stuck behind an under-preforming Carlos Boozer for four seasons. Finally, Taj Gibson had his chance to start but the Bulls added a veteran Allstar in Pau Gasol which sent Gibson back to the bench. If all things go according to plan, Nikola Mirotic will be the next inline to snake Gibson out of a starting position.
The Bulls currently have an overloaded front-court, especially since Hoiberg has said he wants to play Doug McDermott at power-forward next season. Taj Gibson, Pau Gasol, Joakim Noah, Nikola Mirotic, Doug McDermott, and Bobby Portis make up the front-court rotation.The Bulls want to make Nikola Mirtoic a major part of the franchise, that’s their selling point to the fans. They haven’t had any external additions to the roster via free-agency because they’re putting all their eggs in Nikola Mirotic’s basket in hopes he develops into an Allstar caliber player. Meanwhile, Pau Gasol’s contract is cheaper with less years than Taj Gibson. So, if Bulls management have to decide between the two, they’ll not only take the cheaper option but also the better play with more experience.
If it’s true that Taj Gibson is bound to fall out of the rotation, the Bulls would have to act quick to trade him to make a fair exchange. The Warriors sat on their hands all season and traded David Lee for Gerald Wallace. This was a deal to free up cap space, but Lee’s trade value dropped immensely because he sat out majority of the season.
So why not Joakim Noah? Why Taj Gibson? Gibson clearly was the better player last season. Well, that’s exactly why the Bulls can’t let go of Noah. The market value is next to nothing for Joakim Noah; the Bulls couldn’t even find a taker if the wanted to. No team would want to touch Noah’s contract because of his lack of production last season. With Noah entering his final year of his contract, the Bulls want to hold on him to decide what’s next for Joakim Noah in the summer of 2016.
Fred Hoiberg has discussed his plans for Pau Gasol, Nikola Mirotic, and Joakim Noah. It’s no coincidence that Hoiberg has met all three of those players in their summer homes. There is one name left off that list, Taj Gibson. Hoiberg has yet to discuss his plans for Gibson nor has he made his way to Brooklyn to meet with the forward.
Taj Gibson’s day in Chicago could be numbered at this point. His surgery set the Bulls back in the trade process if there is any. However, the Bulls didn’t think twice about drafting Bobby Portis who is another player they have high hopes for.
The ride with Taj Gibson has been fun and exciting filled with highlight reel dunks. However, all good things come to an end one day. For Taj Gibson it could be sooner than expected if his recovery continues to progress.
