The Toronto Raptors need a big man, and Chicago Bulls star reserve Taj Gibson could be the answer to their trade prayers.
Both the Chicago Bulls and Toronto Raptors could meet up at some point in the Eastern Conference Playoffs but they may also share a player on their roster. Taj Gibson currently plays for the Bulls but he could get shipped off in a trade at come point an one of his landing spots looks to be north of the border.
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According to Steve Kyler from Basketball Insiders, the Raptors are looking at trading for Chicago Bulls star Taj Gibson, who seems to be getting pushed out by the frontcourt schemes that are being run.
"A few names continue to surface around league sources when talking about Toronto, the biggest being Indiana’s David West, the next is Chicago’s Taj Gibson, then Denver’s Kenneth Faried and then there is a long list of B and C tier names that Toronto might consider at the deadline if all else fails."
Gibson inked a fat contract extension with the Bulls just a few years ago, but he has quickly become trade bait thanks to the resurgence of Pau Gasol and the excellent play of the young Nikola Mirotic. Taj Gibson is one of Tom Thibodeau’s favorite players, and trading him away could be something that further sours the relationship between Thibodeau and the Bulls front office.
Last year, such a rift was created when fan favorite and Tom Thibodeau favorite Luol Deng was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers. The trade is something that ended up leading Deng to the much hated Miami Heat, and trading Gibson away to a contending team in the East is something that could crush the relationship between Thibs and the front office.
Toronto is soaring though and the team is looking to acquire all the talent it can. They need a big man and getting Gibson from Chicago — or David West from Indiana or Kenneth Faried from Denver — could be what the team needs.
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