• Taj Gibson

Taj Gibson (Photo : Bulls.com)

The Chicago Bulls might not be playing like a title contender this season, but the drop-off was largely due to injuries. Ken Berger of CBS Sports believes breaking up the core - like trading either Jimmy Butler or Derrick Rose - isn't necessary, instead the Bulls should focus on making minor deals like trading an enticing expiring contract of Taj Gibson.

Like Us on Facebook

-In his latest article, Berger pointed out the Bulls would have been competing for the top-4 spots in the Eastern Conference playoff race, if they have just kept injuries to a minimum. Joakim Noah, the lynchpin of their defense, suffered a season ending elbow injuries halfway into the season, while Rose and Butler struggled to stay healthy throughout the season.

-As for trading Rose or Butler, Berger is clearly against that idea. He believes Butler is a legitimate centerpiece for the Bulls and trading them would devoid them of a reliable go-to-guy. The same goes for Rose who, despite the injuries, still has rooms to return to his All-Star level.

"Given the litany of injuries he's been through, it's easy to forget that Rose is only 27, and his $21 million salary next season will seem like a bargain compared to some of the money that will be handed out this summer. More to the point, there's no equal-value replacement on the free-agent market this summer, and trading him wouldn't bring back fair value even for the diminished abilities he still has."    

-According to Berger, the Bulls need not to make a big splash on the trading front, as they just need to make minor moves that would net them players suited for Fred Hoiberg's offense. One of which is finding a trade partner for Gibson, who is entering the final year of his contract worth $8.9 million.

-The Bulls would have more or less $20 million in cap space if Pau Gasol opted out from the final year of his deal along with renouncing Noah, Aaron Brooks and E'Twaun Moore. It's up for Gar Forman and John Paxson, how they would spend this amount of space to strengthen the team's core this offseason.