The Los Angeles Lakers are trying to make do with players that are not exactly the most sought after in the NBA, and power forward Taj Gibson seems to be another potential target.
The Lakers are reportedly set to acquire Lou Williams, Brandon Bass and Roy Hibbert.
The Bulls have a lineup that seems filled with forwards, so Gibson looks dispensable. The Bulls forward is coming off surgery but has contributed whenever he is called upon to do so.
But his $8-million annual paycheck for the next two years makes the the team want to trade him off for someone of lesser value.
The Lakers could absorb that with the large salary cap space they have right now while the Bulls could make do with someone like Jordan Hill, whom the Lakers have been rumored to be dangling for trade in recent months.
If not Hill, the Bulls may likely look at lower-salaried free agents at the power forward position. At the moment, the Bulls seem to have a complete forward line to work with and may likely be looking for a backup player like Ama're Stoudemire, Luis Scola or Chris Copeland.
With the Bulls set to sign up Jimmy Butler to a whopping $90-million deal, the obvious next step is to try and offset some of their high-salaried players, and Gibson seems to be one of them.
Gibson could find a new role with the Lakers as the team continues to find available and efficient players to add to their mix. Gibson finds himself in a situation similar to that of former teammate Carlos Boozer last year, but he could end up as a better fit for the Lakers.
Earlier, Williams, 28, agreed to a three-year, $21-million deal with the Lakers. Williams played with the Toronto Raptors last season and was one of the team's efficient scorers. The combo guard averaged 15.5 points, 1.9 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.1 steals per game.
