The Chicago Bulls fans are getting convinced that Taj Gibson may be on the block soon.
While he is not at all a bad player and it seems unfair, the reality is that the Bulls have a logjam at the four spot. It was also confounded by the team drafting Bobby Portis as fansite Pippen Ain't Easy pointed out.
"Bobby Portis has brought extra energy to the Chicago Bulls, and he may have madeTaj Gibson expendable at this point."
The article also cited comments by Stan Van Gundy, the Detroit Pistons head coach when they played against each other.
"He was a guy we really liked heading into the draft," Van Gundy said. "I'm not surprised with how well he's playing. He's one of the true inside-outside bigs you can get. He's good on the block but he can step out and shoot the ball with range. You don't see much of that."
SVG compared Portis to Kevin Love and Chris Bosh since they have effective inside-outside games.
Today's Fastbreak went a step further by proposing to trade Gibson for a wing prospect. The options for the Bulls at the position are Doug McDermott and Tony Snell. McDermott can shoot and is the best of the pre-season but his defense may lack impact. Snell delivers on that end, but is not at all a good shooter.
Evan Fournier of the Orlando Magic may bridge the gap. "Fournier, a 6'7" shooting guard who has Manu Ginobili characteristics, would fit very well alongside Jimmy Butler," the article observed. "He's not elite on either end, but he's a better offensive player than Snell and a superior defender to McDermott."
Another player like Channing Frye could be included to balance the salaries, and Frye could be shopped further on.