Everyone’s talking about Jimmy Butler and the Boston Celtics as the NBA trade deadline approaches. The two teams engaged in talks about Butler before last season’s deadline, and again leading up to the 2016 draft. But sources suggest Chicago and Boston haven’t had substantial talks about Jimmy since draft night last year. Also, K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune reported earlier today that the Bulls are telling interested teams they have no plans to trade Butler. For now, it looks like Jimmy will stay.
So let’s spend some time focusing on a different path the Bulls can take to be active (and progressive) before the deadline: trade impending free agent Taj Gibson. ESPN’s Brian Windhorst believes Chicago’s front office is shopping Gibson, as well as Nikola Mirotic.
“I do think the Bulls are in the market, especially with Taj Gibson and Nikola Mirotic…I think they’re really motivated to trade one or the other before Thursday.” – Brian Windhorst
Let’s ignore Mirotic for now. Despite some rumblings about the Clippers being interested in Brickola, finding a buyer for Gibson seems much more likely.
The market for Taj (given the trades of Serge Ibaka and DeMarcus Cousins) probably won’t yield the lottery pick the Bulls want, but he can possibly fetch a lower first round pick or second round picks. At least two contending teams could use Gibson’s services for the playoff push: Boston and Houston.
Consolation Taj
So the Celtics don’t get Butler. They’re also reportedly in the market for a big. Adding a strong interior defender and reliable offensive contributor like Gibson would be a great backup plan to bolster their roster in anticipation of a showdown with Cleveland.
Celtics Receive: PF/C Taj Gibson
Bulls Receive: PF Amir Johnson, 2019 lottery-protected first round pick (via Clippers)
Gibson is an upgrade over Johnson in just about every category. He’s more versatile offensively with decent post moves and a reliable midrange jumper. Taj is a strong rebounder on both ends, which the Celtics desperately need. They currently rank 24th in offensive boards and 26th in defensive boards per game. His defense is also far superior to Johnson’s as he’s more adept at journeying out of the paint to contain stretch forwards and guards on the perimeter. That skill would be a welcome relief to Al Horford, whose perimeter switches are a vulnerability in Boston’s defense.
Assuming the Butler trade doesn’t happen, the Celtics will try to preserve cap space for the upcoming offseason to pursue big name free agents. Bringing in Gibson on a half-season loan fits with that plan, as they can let him sign elsewhere this summer.
Johnson, like Gibson, will be an unrestricted free agent. So the Bulls don’t need to worry about taking on his contract. They can waive him, try to negotiate a buyout or simply bench him and then let him walk. In the meantime, Fred Hoiberg could promote Bobby Portis. Elevate the young power forward’s minutes in the final 25 games to see if he’s a project worthy of further investment.
Add-On
If the Bulls have decided to give up on sharpshooter Doug McDermott (as he’s reportedly being shopped) they could add him into this deal for another pick. It’s very unlikely Boston would surrender any of their first round picks for Doug, but a second round pick is feasible. The Celtics have plenty of those to offer in 2017, including picks owed to them by Minnesota, the Clippers and Cavaliers. Boston could toss in another waive/buyout player like James Young to match the contracted money involved, and the deal still works.
Granted, the Celtics haven’t knowingly expressed any interest in Gibson or McDermott. They are looking for a big man, and Gibson fits their immediate needs and flexible future plans. Convincing them to take Doug might be more difficult, which is why a player-for-player&pick trade involving Gibson seems more likely.
Now let’s look at a challenger out West…
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