It could easily be a sign and trade, Batum is the best player in the deal but Dunleavy is a better 3 point shooter and Gibson would be a major defensive upgrade.
FWIW Batum shot .400 and .324 from 3pt with a PER of 13.1 and is being paid $12M. Gibson shot .502, had a 16.1 PER, and is being paid $8M. The $4M difference and the Bulls being already over the LT (maybe without Dunleavy they're not), I don't see the Bulls doing it anyway.
Only if we're trading (or not re-signing) LMA. Otherwise it doesn't make any sense to torpedo the SF position to bolster an already deep PF position.
Trade Batum for Taj, then do that Ariza centered deal for LMA, then we'll be stuck in the not good enough to do anything in the playoffs, but not bad enough to get a top back no mans land nobody wants to be in like the Suns.
Asking a lot for a guy you guys don't like and who didn't perform all that great last year and who makes a BIG paycheck.
I like him. I wasn't happy with his play last season but there are only a handful of small forwards that are clearly better than him. Batum would help the Bulls a ton, him and Noah are great passers at their positions. Ball movement wouldn't be an issue for the Bulls anymore. Taj, Snell and the draft pick are a good swap. Taj's minutes will decrease next season likely, Snell is a role player who will fight for spot backup minutes with McDermott and the draft pick is just that... A draft pick.
Assuming Taj doesn't start for you, he's a 6th man of the year candidate kind of player off your bench. Something it seems the Blazers really have needed for the past few seasons. I think he'd play starter's minutes for you whether he starts or not. Coaches do tend to play their best players the most minutes.
Batum had an off year, and still had the second most assists of all small forwards (behind LeBron James). Last year Batum was one of single-digit players in NBA history to have a five-by-five. Gibson is... a solid backup PF, good defender, good rebounder, below average scorer. Those really aren't that hard to find. Like him or hate him, Batum has a pretty unique skillset.
I think he does have a good skill set, no doubt. I don't think that wing players shooting .400 and .324 from 3pt are helping _that_ much over the long haul.
I feel like a broken record here: don't trade Batum just because he's our only tradeable asset. Are people really so senile that they forget (a) he had a torn ligament in his wrist (b) our starting five was one of the best in the league, it was our BENCH that was the problem (c) in the first half of the season we had a top five offense AND defense (d) Lillard thinks Batum is the most underrated player in the league. EVERY FUCKING YEAR people fall in love with the draft. Unless you're the GM of the Spurs, trading a starter for a pick outside the top 3 is likely to be a big mistake, and even if it isn't, is likely not to pay off for years. Trading Batum is something you do if Aldridge leaves and you're blowing up and starting massive rebuild. If that happens, I don't know if I can take it.
I agree with Taj playing a lot of minutes here if a trade happened. It's in Chicago where he will be sitting, thus his value decreases.
I think it's Noah who's going to be sitting and Taj will play plenty. For the same reason: you play your best players the most minutes
