NBA Trade Rumors: Chicago Bulls Shopping Pau Gasol, Memphis Grizzlies A Possibility

NBA trade rumors are stating that the Chicago Bulls are not done shopping Pau Gasol to see if they can get a deal done before the deadline later on this month, according to Hoops Rumors. The move says a lot about the franchise, since Nikola Mirotic and Joakim Noah are both still injured. It also opens up an intriguing scenario where Pau joins his brother, Marc Gasol, with the Memphis Grizzlies, the team that he originally played for.

When the NBA season started, the Chicago Bulls had enviable depth on the front court. There simply weren’t enough minutes to go around. Bulls head coach Fred Hoiberg tried his best to find minutes for promising rookie Bobby Portis, but the veterans ahead of him were just too solid to bench. That led to several rumors about Chicago trying to find trades for one or two of their front court players.

Many believed that the trade rumors would be dying once Nikola Mirotic and Joakim Noah both went down with injuries. Noah is actually out for the rest of the season because of a severe shoulder injury. Very few people believed that Chicago Bulls president John Paxson and general manager Gar Forman would leave Fred Hoiberg with just Taj Gibson and Bobby Portis as the only competent big men on the roster.

The reason why the Chicago Bulls are silently shopping around Pau Gasol is because they’re trying to collect assets for the future. While they would never say it publicly, because they do not want to upset a fan base that is already starting to wane, the Bulls are a team that badly is in need of reloading. There’s still a good amount of talent on the team, so they do not have to go through a full rebuilding period.

By shopping Pau Gasol, the Chicago Bulls are basically admitting that the veteran from Spain is not in their future plans. The 6-foot-11-inch, 250 pound forward is set to become a free agent after the season ends, and there’s a very good chance that he will be lured away by another team in the NBA. Gasol is still playing at a very high level for someone in their late 30s, which means that his trade value is still considerably high.

The Memphis Grizzlies need another front court player, and they need it badly. Marc Gasol, their star center and one of the best players in the NBA, recently suffered a foot injury and should miss the rest of the season. The Grizzlies still are in the hunt a spot in the NBA Playoffs, and they need a replacement big man. Pau Gasol can team up with Mike Conley, who is rumored to be signing with the Brooklyn Nets after the season ends, and lead Memphis to the playoffs.

While most NBA teams are nervous about trading for someone who is set to become a free agent at the end of the season, the Memphis Grizzlies’ concerns are a bit alleviated because there’s a good chance that Marc Gasol can convince his brother to stick around afterward. The two of the have always dreamed about playing on the same team in the National Basketball Association, and it’s evident by how much they appear to enjoy playing together internationally for Spain.

Pau Gasol has earned the right to pick and choose his next home in the NBA. Phil Jackson would love to have him mentoring Kristaps Porzingis with the New York Knicks. Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh could use some help to catch up to LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers. Gasol can always go chase another NBA Championship with Dirk Nowitzki and the Dallas Mavericks, so there’s plenty of options for Gasol.

[Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images]