The Chicago Bulls have won four straight games to bring their record up to 15-8 which is the second best in the Eastern Conference. Despite the fact that the Bulls have been playing really well they don't seem satisfied with their current roster as they have been in the center of some pretty big trade rumors. The biggest rumor going around, for Bulls fans, is that they are looking to possibly trade Joakim Noah. It turns out part of the motivation for wanting to trade Noah is to free up playing time for rookie Bobby Portis, according to Michael Scotto of Sheridan Hoops.
Noah has become a bench player this season and does not have nearly as big a role as he has been used in his career with Fred Hoiberg as the new head coach. The veteran center is also in the final year of his contract and is set to become a free agent at the end of the season so he has value and the Bulls might want to get something in return for him instead of losing him this offseason for nothing. Portis likely isn't the only reason a Noah trade might happen but he is reportedly a big part of it.
Portis was drafted with the 22nd overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft by the Bulls and had an impressive preseason that had everybody excited about what he might do as a rookie. Through 23 games though, Portis has only appeared four times and has played limited minutes because the Bulls have a deep frontcourt. Hoiberg continues to insist that Portis will play important minutes for Chicago this season but there is nobody he can take out of the rotation to get Portis those minutes so a trade might be the best avenue to getting the rookie consistent playing time.
The Bulls have been linked to DeMarcus Cousins in trade rumors as they might have the pieces to make a trade work. The Sacramento Kings have said they aren't willing to trade him but if a trade does happen it would likely include Noah, Taj Gibson and others which would not only improve the Bulls roster but also free up the playing time they have wanted to give Portis.
Bulls fans might not be happy with the idea of trading Noah as he has been one of their most popular players and a huge energy source for the team throughout his career but the reality is that trading him is their best option. Not only is the 20 year old Portis the future, but Noah has been reduced to a lightly used bench player and he will likely go elsewhere in free agency anyway so they might as well get something for him while they can and that expiring contract along with his sterling reputation will definitely have value on the trade market.
