Chicago Bulls Trade Rumors: Bulls Possible Suitors For Rudy Gay

It seems like the front office of the Chicago Bulls are hard at work.

When it comes to the NBA rumor mill regarding the upcoming trade deadline, the Chicago Bulls keeping getting mentioned as one of the teams that are looking to make a deal happen. They have a history of exhibiting the unwillingness to shake up the deck a bit. In fact, the last time that the Bulls made a trade was the deal sending Luol Deng to the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Bulls received nothing of significance in the trade with the exception of the top-10 protected first rounder they could retrieve from ironically, the Sacramento Kings.

It is the Kings who are looking to move forward Rudy Gay and guard Ben McLemore as the Inquisitr recently reported.

What is most curious about the rumors involving Gay and McLemore is that many outlets are saying that the Chicago Bulls are among the teams looking to make an offer.

Reports: The Chicago Bulls are calling the Sacramento Kings in regards to Rudy Gay.

— The Lead (@TheLeadSM) February 16, 2016

A tweet by 670 The Score personality and Bulls’ insider David Schuster all but confirmed the Chicago Bulls’ interest in acquiring Rudy Gay. According to sources, the Bulls would send forwards Nikola Mirotic and Tony Snell, and the expiring contract of Joakim Noah, who is injured, as well as a first round pick. If there is any validity to the rumored swap, it would not be surprising if the Kings will want Doug McDermott instead of Snell.

Sacramento is talking to numerous teams about trading Rudy Gay. The Bulls are said to be in on those talks as well.

— David Schuster (@Schumouse) February 16, 2016

Source: #Bulls have offered Nikola Mirotic, Tony Snell, Joakim Noah's expiring deal & 1st rounder to #Kings for Rudy Gay & Ben McLemore.

— Carlos Douglas Jr. (@TheRealC_Los) February 16, 2016

#Kings are still shopping Rudy Gay & Ben McLemore to other teams, but #Bulls have made an offer. Chicago talking to other teams as well.

— Carlos Douglas Jr. (@TheRealC_Los) February 16, 2016

There are additional teams who are interested in trading for Rudy Gay.

Oregon Live has listed that the Portland Trailblazers is a possible destination for him.

And in January, Fox Sports reported that the New Orleans Pelicans had discussed a swap with the Kings, with Rudy Gay the centerpiece of the trade talks.

Another team that was rumored to be interested in Rudy Gay were the Detroit Pistons. The Pistons, who currently sit one game behind the Chicago Bulls in the Eastern Conference standings, have begun dealing. As reported by ESPN, the Pistons acquired Orlando Magic forward Tobias Harris in exchange for point guard Brandon Jennings and Ersan Ilyasova.

Prior to the trade, Detroit needed more scoring from the forward spot, hence the interest in Rudy Gay. Now with the addition of Harris, the Pistons’ name can be taken off the list as a potential trade partner with the Kings.

Detroit’s trade with the Magic places the Chicago Bulls in a conundrum.

If the Bulls stand pat, given the status of their injured players, they could end up getting surpassed by the Pistons and the Charlotte Hornets. The Hornets shored up their shooting and defense by adding guard Courtney Lee.

As of now, Charlotte is one game behind the Bulls in the loss column. The Hornets are also one of the teams interested in acquiring center Dwight Howard. And while most observers have all but written Howard off, he could prove to be a difference-maker to any team that acquires him. If he somehow lands in Charlotte, the Hornets could easily bypass the Bulls in the standings if the Bulls cannot make a trade themselves.

There is plenty of chatter surrounding the Chicago Bulls at least. It was reported by the Inquisitr that they have inquired about another Kings’ player DeMarcus Cousins. While asking about the availability of Cousins, it is conceivable that Sacramento brought up the name of Rudy Gay instead.

Rudy Gay to the Chicago Bulls would be a solid fit. He is a slasher and scorer capable of putting up 20-25 points a game, given the right situation. One of the areas where the Bulls need to get better at is overall athleticism. Rudy Gay and Ben McLemore are athletic wing players that could give the more versatility to a lineup that needs it.

If the trade goes as reported, team rebounding becomes a weakness, though with the buyout market coming up after the trade deadline, a rebounder and post defender could become available.

Rudy Gay and, to a lesser extent, Ben McLemore would serve as decent fallback options if the Bulls want to have one more legitimate run at an NBA Championship. Adding Rudy Gay, while keeping the starting lineup intact, would allow the Bulls bench to comprise of Mike Dunleavy Jr., E’Twan Moore, Bobby Portis, Aaron Brooks, and Ben McLemore. That is strong enough for the Bulls to challenge the Cleveland Cavaliers in the East.

(Photo by Lintao Zhang/Getty Images)