Los Angeles Lakers' Brandon Bass (L) and Chicago Bulls' Taj Gibson. (Photo : Getty Images)
One trade scenario that has recently made rounds online is a potential Taj Gibson-Brandon Bass direct swap between the Chicago Bulls and Los Angeles Lakers. Although this deal is not possible as of the moment because Bass cannot be traded until December 15, three months after he signed his current contract with the Lakers, it is a development worth looking at.
Chat Sports' Brian Rauf first brought out the idea of a trade involving these two undersized power forwards. It was reported that the Lakers had interest over Gibson for a couple of years now, but there were no opportunities for the team to really seek him out.
Standing six feet and nine inches and weighing 225 pounds, Gibson is a versatile player that could also slide down to the small forward spot if needed. His main strength would be his defensive presence on the court, something that the Lakers badly needs if they want to become a relevant team again in the Western Conference.
Byron Scott also has an issue on his team's lack of small forward depth and Gibson might be the perfect man for the job.
Reports were out last month that the Bulls were looking to trade Gibson as management already favored their frontcourt depth of Joakim Noah, Pau Gasol, and Nikola Mirotic, as per Fox Sports. With Taj's substantial annual salary of $8.5 million, it was said that Chicago is unwilling to pay that kind of money for a third tier bench player.
The Lakers would be ready to shell that out and maybe Gibson will also see some starting minutes in Scott's system given their need, things that will benefit the 30-year-old veteran.
Meanwhile, Bass can be a great addition to the Bulls as a backup big. His $3 million per year salary is affordable for Chicago. Although undersized, Bass has compensated with his offensive prowess, hustle, and overall tenacity on the court.
However, it remains to be seen whether either team will be open to such a deal. Are the Bulls really ready to let go of Gibson and are the Lakers willing to trade Bass who they had just signed during the summer?
