Hmmm.......... http://www.chicagonow.com/blogs/hoops-in-view/2010/07/taj-gibson-for-rudy-fernandez-not.html
Yeah. No thanks on that one. I see way too much L@ker ball to ever want him. Taj is an underrated player. He was very strong in the Pac-10 and had some amazing games. I would consider this one.
Doing this will just move the consolidation trade need from the guard position to the backup PF position, since Dante and Taj are, for all practical purposes, the same player (only Taj got to play more minutes because the Bulls did not have someone as good as LMA playing PF).
Yeah, I don't get this trade at all from Portland's point of view. Sort of like those dang Deng rumors.
From Sam Smith: Sam: As I've said previously, Fernandez would be my first choice to effectively finish the roster with a shooter. I know fans are most excited with offense, but it would be too much to give up Gibson. He's a very good defender at his position and can make a shot. He's a good team player and hard worker and willing to play a role off the bench. He'd be more difficult to replace than you think and far better than Pendergraph, whom I have not heard available, anyway. You can move in Taj if Boozer misses some games, which he always does. Giving up a first would be fair to me for a guy the Trail Blazers cannot use because they have Wesley Matthews. But the Bulls continue to try from what I have heard. Also: Sam: It's also a reasonable scenario, though I also have gotten no firm indication the Trail Blazers want Gibson. I've never been much of an Amundsen fan, seeing him a lot in Phoenix as a fan pet who came in, threw his body around and never accomplished much. Gibson is hardly an untouchable, but I've heard Portland's main interest is a No. 1. I cannot be see giving Gibson and a No. 1 for Fernandez, but as I said I've heard the Bulls have a strong shot and may be the leader in the clubhouse now for getting Fernandez, though we know it's not a deal until it's a deal More from Sam: The irony for Chicago fans lusting for Rudy is in Portland the fans feel the team fell too much in love with Rudy and now has blown it as they won't get much and should have traded him a year ago before he flopped in the playoffs when given real playing time for the first time after complaining and whining for two years. Sound familiar? So we'll go with the new situation theme for Rudy being a steal for the Bulls and a poison for the Blazers, who have been a pretty smart organization. The interest isn't foreign romance as the Bulls history with international players is awful. It's a guy with a live body, experience and skills who is 25 and healthy. And you know we love yelling, Rudy, Rudy, Rudy in the Midwest.
I would be amazed if the Bulls offered Taj Gibson. If they did, I'd probably take it. I'd prefer Omer Asik, though.
Asik has never set foot on an NBA court. Also, he makes 1.7M, which would be too much in salary for the Blazers to take on just trading Rudy. Would you want to through in one of your other players? Pendergraph or Cunningham?
I'd do this trade in a heartbeat. Rudy for Taj works straight up, although Chicago would be giving up a little more talent in this equation... LOL @ Maris' love for sissy spaniards.
Also, I am not sure Dante and Taj can be equated, because as similar as their stats are, Dante played against bench guys and Taj started 70 games last year. I think Dante can play some backup 3 just fine, with Taj picking up time at the backup 4. See who works, trade the other if need be. Rudy has to go, and Gibson would be pretty equal value, which would be great considering the Blazers would be the ones offloading a player who doesn't want to be here, anyway.
I wouldn't want Taj Gibson. He's 25 already and put up a less-than-impressive PER last year as a rookie--I'm pretty confident that Dante (two years younger) will be able to do that at his age, too. Not sure why we'd want him. Not that he can't help Chicago, but I don't know that he's particularly an upgrade over what we have on the roster right now. Ed O.
He put up a higher PER than Wesley Matthews, who was 23 all of last season and just got the MLE for some unknown reason that is guaranteed for five years. Strive for consistency when assessing players. It's the least any of us can do, right? Or does saying that paint you as a "liar", as you call me? That said, I also don't want Gipson because he is relatively old and doesn't at all stand out to me as a difference maker on a contender. Kind of like my opinion of Wesley Matthews, but more so with Matthews because of his contract.
Sometimes, all you can do is roll an asset over. If you can't trade Rudy for immediate value, trade him for something of future value. EG a draft pick, or a young player like Gibson who can be included in a later deal. The worst option is keeping Rudy, as his value will only decrease.
Preferring a defensive specialist who's 23 to a non-specialist at age 24 is clearly something only a liar can do. Haha. You're hilarious. Ed O.
