Similarly, it’s not a shock that other teams are inquiring about the very useful Jakob Poeltl. DeMarre Carroll and Marco Bellineli are reportedly available, which is understandable, considering their place in the rotation and the roster makeup. There have been other smaller rumors that make sense. Insiders are not completely discarding it as a possibility, but at this point it would be surprising to see San Antonio make a big trade. *Stats used in this slideshow were as of January 15, 2013.As the trade deadline approaches, the rumblings about the Spurs potentially dealing one of DeMar DeRozan or LaMarcus Aldridge are dying out. There's no need to fiddle with their roster unless a can't-miss deal arises, and a swap of Deng for Gay isn't even close to being in the can't-miss category. The Bulls are already a top-notch team that is capable of contending for a title. This all the more confirms why trading Deng for Gay would be an illogical idea. Once this happens, the sky's the limit for this ball club. The only thing this team is in dire need of is the return of their superstar. They also have an array of stellar supporting weapons in Richard Hamilton, Marco Belinelli, Kirk Hinrich, Nate Robinson and Jimmy Butler. They have formidable core players in Deng, Noah, Gibson and the red-hot Carlos Boozer. Such a maneuver would honestly be more of a step backward than it would forward.īulls fans should truthfully be stoked about the currently assembled team. Therefore, the Bulls shouldn't mess with offers such as a straight swap for Gay. But such an opportunity is unlikely to present itself anytime soon. If they do, they should only be content to entertain offers that feature them landing a proven superstar in return (i.e., Kevin Love). It's easy to gather some of his limitations, but the truth is that there aren't many who display quality performances on a steady basis like Deng.īecause of this, the Bulls should not even dangle Deng's name on the trade block. This easily gets overlooked when fans analyze Deng. He may not be flashy, but he's undoubtedly productive. He's simply a coach's dream and exactly the type of player you want in your starting five. He's the model of consistency offensively. His contributions come in so many different layers. What he brings to the table is invaluable. Lastly, Bulls fans must recognize the importance of Deng. Plus, is Gay really that much better offensively than Deng? Yes, he has more in his repertoire, but his numbers are certainly not staggering.Īlso, remember that Derrick Rose is expected to return soon, which all Bulls fans are salivating for. A healthy Rose will cure a good chunk of Chicago's current offensive struggles. He does possess playmaking ability, but the Bulls' best bet is to be patient and wait for a playmaker to arrive in the future, when it doesn't cost them a key piece to their squad in Deng. Thirdly, luring Gay is not the way for Chicago to fortify their offense. Even if Gay can adjust, it would take some time and disrupt the chemistry the Bulls have already established. But not everyone can readily adjust to this.
Gritty workhorses like Deng, Joakim Noah and Taj Gibson are wondrous fits for this intensity. He demands much of everyone on the roster.
The truth is that Thibodeau's style of play requires a unique caliber of player. This is nothing against Gay, but why would the Bulls want to completely alter their chemistry for a player who's by no means at a higher level than Deng? Honestly, it's naive to assume he would mesh just as well as Deng. It's naive to assume that Gay can immediately jump in and mesh even better than Deng. He never takes a possession off and he's a core emotional leader for this franchise. Deng meshes perfectly with coach Tom Thibodeau's style of play. Secondly, the chemistry issues this would present must be scrutinized. If the Bulls are going to consider a blockbuster deal such as this, which would alter team chemistry, it must be 100 percent convincing from a statistical standpoint. Gay's numbers are actually slightly weaker than Deng's. While numbers don't tell the whole story, there would at least need to be ample evidence here for the Bulls to ponder such a deal. Luol Deng: 17.9 points per game (44.5 percent from the field), 6.6 rebounds per game, 2.9 assists per game, 1.1 steals per game Rudy Gay: 17.8 points per game (41.4 percent from the field), 5.7 rebounds per game, 2.5 assists per game, 1.4 steals per game There are numerous reasons to support this. Such a deal could look enticing to Bulls fans at first glance, but the reality is that this would be a downright foolish deal for the Bulls to even tinker with.