It’s clear that whatever the Bulls did before the All-Star break isn’t working. So, who better to trade than the only player who actually played in the All-Star Game—Pau Gasol.
That’s the rumor as the trade deadline nears Thursday afternoon.
Sources: Kings aggressively pursuing Bulls Pau Gasol, offering Koufos, McLemore, sweetener (w/@WojVerticalNBA) https://t.co/mwfbSsPTER
— Chris Mannix (@SIChrisMannix) February 18, 2016
The Bulls have discussed deals with multiple NBA teams on Gasol, but one discussion lingered on Wednesday, league sources told The Vertical’s [Adrian] Wojnarowski and Chris Mannix: Gasol and Tony Snell to the Sacramento Kings for Kosta Koufos, Ben McLemore and a lowering of the lottery protections on the 2016 first-round pick that Sacramento owes the Bulls.
The pick is protected Nos. 1-10, but the Bulls and Kings discussed lowering the protections further to give Chicago a better chance of obtaining use of the pick in 2016, league sources told The Vertical.
On @SpiegelAndGoff, @ChrisMannixYS just said the Kings-Bulls trade rumor is "very real," and that the info is coming from both sides. #Pau
— M@ (@MattSpiegel670) February 18, 2016
Gasol has already said he will opt out of the final year of his contract with the Bulls at the end of the season to become a free agent, but he could stay in Chicago if the money is right. The 35-year-old center currently makes $7.4 million.
The trade of Gasol to the Kings would be much more involved than what is described above, as detailed by SB Nation.
[nicelink url=http://chicago.suntimes.com/basketball/7/71/1323401/bulls-continue-make-tom-thibodeau-look-like-greatest-coach-nba-history]
Regardless whether the Bulls are able to pull off the complex deal, the reported talks show a concerted effort by the Bulls to get younger and more athletic and possibly close the window on what they once thought was a championship roster.
#Bulls Pau Gasol comments on reports of being linked to trade talks pic.twitter.com/2SpVb85889
— Spencer Davies (@SpinDavies) February 18, 2016