Joakim Noah lifts Derrick Rose as Taj Gibson looks on. (Photo : Getty Images)
Rumors about Derrick Rose leaving the Chicago Bulls have been widespread lately as the team is slowly banking on Jimmy Butler to be the new leading man of the franchise. One trade prediction swirling these days is the possible deal involving Rose and either Taj Gibson or Joakim Noah for an unspecified younger point guard that could finally propel Chicago back to the NBA Finals.
The Roar's Richard Payne wrote "five fearless predictions" as the current season begins and one of the most interesting is his forecast that the Bulls will trade D-Rose at or near the February deadline for a "young, talented point guard."
What makes it more curious is the mention of Noah or Gibson, two fan-favorite players who had been the heart and soul of the team for several years now, as a possible package sweetener because Rose's value has allegedly "dropped over the last few years."
With Butler bit by bit becoming the leader and best player of the team both on and off the court and the effective chemistry of the Spanish frontline duo of Pau Gasol and Nikola Mirotic, plus Rose's recurrent struggles with injuries that make him often unavailable for the Bulls, the rumors regarding the 2011 NBA MVP and two of the team's bench giants actually makes a lot of sense.
Just recently, ESPN's Brian Windhorst had revealed that Rose's "breakup with the Bulls has begun," as per NBC Sports' Pro Basketball Talk.
Windhorst is actually counting the actual breakup to be in the summer of 2017 when Rose becomes an unrestricted free agent, but all the signs point toward that inevitable move as early as right now.
