Chicago Bulls power forward Taj Gibson has become the latest high-profile player likely to be moved before the trade deadline roughly two weeks from now. According to Sporting News writer Sean Deveney, there are a handful of teams showing interest in the former USC banger, and unsurprisingly, the Los Angeles Lakers are one of them.
After their failed bid to nab blossoming stars Brandon Jennings, Greg Monroe and Brook Lopez, the Lakers have shifted their attention in trying to acquire Gibson from the Bulls.
In his recent report on Sporting News, Deveney stated the Lakers are one of at least four teams eyeing Gibson, who is averaging 11.0 points, 7.0 rebounds and 1.3 blocks in 28.5 minutes per game.
While Gibson has been an important part of the Bulls' success the past four seasons, many analysts believed the logjam at power forward position could play a big factor in the power forward's fate this coming trade deadline.
"Gibson has been connected to much of the league the past few months, from Los Angeles to Toronto to Phoenix to Detroit to Portland.
In recent weeks, he has not played with the energy for which he has been known, and there has been speculation that he is frustrated with the addition of Nikola Mirotic and Pau Gasol (though his playing time has not changed much). Gibson has two years and $17.4 million on his deal, which is a problem in moving him."
The Lakers' interest in Gibson shouldn't be surprising for two reasons: a) They inquired for his availability on the trading block at almost exact time frame last year b) The franchise is desperate to add a promising talent to its roster before free-agency.
Losing an energy guy like Gibson would be a big blow for the Bulls. However, there's still the possibility Bulls general manager Gar Foreman would try to flip him in exchange for a solid haul of assets. After all, the Bulls already have'insurance' in Mirotic in case Gibson was dealt.
