1. Chicago Bulls
The Trade:
Sorry guys, I just can’t get Taj Gibson out of my head. Ever since Sean Deveney of The Sporting News reported that Gibson was on the block, we’ve heard absolutely zilch about his availability, so there’s a good chance we’re dreaming here. But if we’re going to dream, we might as well dream big, right?
Gibson is the ideal fit for the Suns out of any player who’s even been remotely associated with the trade deadline. Deveney is the only one who has reported that Gibson’s been on the trade block for the Chicago Bulls, but if his report is accurate, the Suns might not be able to find a better deal.
I’ve already covered why Gibson is a great fit for the Suns, a team that desperately needs help defensively and on the glass. Gibson would provide both of those things and the league would finally get to see what he can do as a starter.
The Suns would be clearing the backcourt logjam and moving Miles Plumlee to a place with more opportunity. You could always substitute Green in there instead if that’s what Chicago would prefer. The pick owed to the Suns from the Los Angeles Lakers is too valuable to include here, but the Suns could include a future draft pick to sweeten the package if need be.
A core of Dragic, Bledsoe, Tucker, Gibson and Len with a bench of the Morrii and Aaron Brooks is more than capable of making the postseason, or at the very least, convincing Dragic that this team still has a bright future. Dragic is too good to play behind Derrick Rose and Jimmy Butler in Chicago, but Thomas makes sense as a quality Sixth Man.
The only potential complication is Chicago’s willingness to move Gibson. None of these deals guarantee that Goran Dragic will trust the Suns organization again and re-sign this summer, but if this is the course of action McDonough chooses to pursue, this would probably be the ideal scenario for trading Thomas.
Next: 5 Potential Trade Destinations For Goran Dragic