National Basketball Association

Making the Case for Not Trading Taj Gibson

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

share

facebookxredditlink

foxsports

The effort to revamp the Chicago Bulls organization has undergone a number of changes under the leadership of head coach Fred Hoiberg and it has some analysts speculating that Taj Gibson is the next player likely to be moved.

Given the early success of the franchise this year, it appears that a better option is to allow Taj Gibson to test the free agency market next summer, rather than put him on the trading block.

Gibson is in the final year of his four-year contract with the Bulls and that means the deal he inked in 2013 could reach $38 million due to incentives by the year’s end. The way the seventh-year forward is playing indicates that he’s a good fit for the club as it stands now.

With the recent additions of Dwyane Wade, Rajon Rondo and Robin Lopez to a starting lineup that also includes Olympic gold medalist Jimmy Butler, it couldn’t hurt to let the season run its course with Gibson — even if it last for one year — knowing the early success the club is experiencing.

The Bulls are off to a hot 3-0 start to begin the regular season. For the Bulls organization, that’s something unheard of since 1996-97 when Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen led the charge.

To plead the case further for not trading Gibson, it should also be noted how Hoiberg’s vision for the ball club is coming to fruition. It’s true that fans hold a very small sample size on which this claim finds support to this point.

Still, the hope is that all it takes is the right personnel to carry out the second-year coach’s style of play. With Gibson, fans can trust that Hoiberg’s vision is becoming clearer.

Many analysts will attribute the team’s ability to gel and click as a cohesive collective to the additions of Wade and Rondo. But, Gibson’s name should be raised in that discussion, too, given his team-first mentality and dedication to the game.

Not to undermine the efforts of the club’s newest additions, Gibson has long been making the case that he’s the heart and soul of the Chicago Bulls.

The veteran forward’s modesty is telling, too, when asked about Wade and Rondo’s contributions to the team.

For seven years, Bulls fans have seen Gibson’s style of play evolve. Under Hoiberg, it shows the veteran forward continues to thrive. He’s an athlete of good character who is willing to do whatever it takes to make a difference on and off the court.

So, why is there so much chatter in the media of Gibson being a likely candidate to hit the trading block? Fans understand what he brings to the table night in and night out and yet not knowing what else he can contribute in moving forward puts the franchise in a trying situation.

Perhaps, Gibson isn’t the perfect fit for the system Hoiberg is looking to create down the road, but he’s making the case that he’s a solid option for the time being. That said, the best option for Chicago Bulls is run with Gibson in the starting five and let him walk away in free agency or re-sign him.

More from Pippen Ain't Easy

Clearly, getting something in return for Gibson through a mid-season trade sounds enticing, but could be risky, if what they get in return isn’t worth pursuing.

Fans already know what happened when the team acquired Jerian Grant, in hopes of developing him as the point guard of the future. It appears more likely that job will remain in Rondo’s hands, if not retrieved by the recently acquired Michael Carter-Williams.

Despite all the noise surrounding the departure of Derrick Rose, the Bulls were stiffed in last summer’s trade. Getting Robin Lopez through that multi-player deal appears to be the only gain to this point.

Gibson is clearly a player who is benefiting from the Bulls newfound success that involves a lot of unselfish play. In preseason action, fans saw what happens when the Bulls reward their big man for running the floor and Gibson is a leading example.

The hope for Bulls fans is that action isn’t taken in haste only to jeopardize a good situation.

This article originally appeared on

share

Get more from National Basketball Association Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more

in this topic

National Basketball Association