The Chicago Bulls are rumored to be shopping away their trade assets this season to keep up with the tough competition in the East.
The Bulls have plenty of pieces to move before the trade deadline, but their only best baits are Pau Gasol, Taj Gibson, and Joakim Noah.
According to Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times, the Bulls' trio of big men could shipped before the deadline, citing his sources that Chicago's front office are "taking calls."
"The likes of Gibson, Noah and Gasol might not even see the end of their current contracts, as several sources indicated that the Bulls are taking calls on all three players as the trade deadline draws near," Cowley wrote.
The Bulls would get valuable pieces in trading Gasol and Gibson, but Noah's value has taken a hit after the former Defensive Player of the Year was diagnosed with a sprain shoulder that would sideline him for two to four weeks, according to WGN TV.
However, the Bulls could still arguably get good value for their frontcourt trio.
In a proposed deal by Fox Sports, the Bulls would send Noah and Kirk Hinrich, plus two second-round picks for Portland Trailblazers' Chris Kaman and Gerald Henderson.
According to the report, the move would "purely" be for the Bulls to get under the luxury tax line this season.
"Trading a former franchise center in Noah is a tough pill to swallow, but if he's not going to be re-signed in free agency, moving on now and avoiding the repeater tax would be the cash smart thing to do."
On the other hand, Gibson, who is also set to hit the market after next season, could also get quality players for the Bulls.
The Bulls are rumored to be looking for a wing and one top small forward available in the market is Lance Stephenson of the Los Angeles Clippers.
According to Marc J Spears of Yahoo Sports, the Clippers are gauging interest from other teams for Stephenson.
Trading Gibson for Stephenson would probably work out for both teams, with the Clippers also looking to bolster their frontcourt lineup. This trade scenario is also approved by ESPN's Trade Machine.
Meanwhile, Gasol would the highest trade value for the Bulls and could bring another superstar talent to Chicago if traded.
Maxwell Odgen of Sports Illustrated listed possible trade deals for the New York Knicks, which include a deal that would send the Spaniard big man to the Big Apple to reunite with Derek Fisher and Phil Jackson.
According to Odgen the Knicks could trade Arron Afflalo and one of the team's young guards for Gasol.
"Arron Afflalo would answer Chicago's call for perimeter help, and Gasol would more than make up his offensive impact-albeit from a different position," Odgen wrote.
The Bulls are currently fifth in the East with a 16-11 record, but inconsistency could cause them a chance to make the playoffs. However, dealing for the right pieces would solidify their spot in come postseason.