NBA Rumors: Chicago Bulls Dwyane Wade, Rajon Rondo Call For Taj Gibson Trade; Jimmy Butler, Bobby Portis Support Move

By Mitch de Leon
NBA: Chicago Bulls at Minnesota Timberwolves
Feb 6, 2016; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Chicago Bulls center Pau Gasol (16) and forward Taj Gibson (22) react during the third quarter against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Target Center. The Timberwolves won 112-105.  Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports

The Chicago Bulls are rapidly becoming one of the most formidable teams in the NBA today. With the entry of Dwyane Wade, who ended his long tenure with the Miami Heat this offseason, and Rajon Rondo, a veteran who carries with him years of winning attitude courtesy of his stint with the Boston Celtics, the Jimmy Butler team is now a serious contender in unseating the Cleveland Cavaliers of LeBron James, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love in the Eastern Conference. However, it looks like a Taj Gibson trade might be necessary soon to strengthen the Chicago Bulls roster.

The failure of the Chicago Bulls to get in the 2016 NBA playoffs sent Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah packing and into the New York Knicks. Meanwhile, another core member of the roster, Pau Gasol, is now a member of the San Antonio Spurs alongside Kawhi Leonard, LaMarcus Aldridge and Danny Green. Some fans of the Western Conference team feel that Gasol is a good move following the Tim Duncan retirement situation as he can help the group beat Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green of the Golden State Warriors. With the recent addition of Kevin Durant to the 2014-2015 NBA champs, the San Antonio Spurs badly need reinforcements to have a legitimate shot at the title.

With the Jimmy Butler trade rumors losing steam this NBA offseason, it remains to be seen how the Chicago Bulls plan to attract more stars in their roster. Should a Taj Gibson trade push through, then the Nikola Mirotic team could barter for a younger star. This could be a good move since the roster already has a couple of veteran guys in the lead.

"We all just want to win," shared Jimmy Butler following the entry of Dwyane Wade and Rajon Rondo in the Chicago Bulls. He added, "They have done it. I want to do it, so I'll play my role in that. But like I tell everybody, I'm still going to be the player that I am. I'm not going to take a step backward because I have new players on my team. I'm still going to be aggressive, I'm still going to guard, I'm still going to play hard. I just hope that's enough to make us win. I like the way we look. Lots of competitors, some winners. I'm looking forward to it."

As for the roles of the newcomers in the Chicago Bulls roster, head coach Fred Hoiberg seems confident that the former Miami Heat and Sacramento Kings stars can complement the skills of Butler in the hardwood court. That is, there will be no competition among his star players - a situation that fueled the rumored rift between Butler and Derrick Rose in the past.

"Dwyane is a tough matchup for opposing teams with him and Jimmy (Butler) on the wings and Rajon (Rondo) at the point," said Hoiberg. The Chicago Bulls head coach added, "A lot of how we attack will be based on matchups and who the defender is and whose hands we're going to put the ball in to make plays."

What do you think? Are Dwyane Wade and Rajon Rondo enough to unseat the Cleveland Cavaliers? Or will Jimmy Butler and company need to push through with the Taj Gibson trade in an effort to add younger stars?

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