The Chicago Bulls aren't exactly in a great position to start next season, but perhaps that could change. Los Angeles Lakers stars Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol didn't finish the year on the best of terms, and Sam Smith of Bulls.com is reporting that Gasol would love to find himself in a Bulls uniform next season. The big man has two years and roughly $38 million left on his contract, so the Bulls would need to make a trade to acquire Gasol, but as Smith says:
The interesting part, according to Lakers' insiders, is Gasol would like to play for the Bulls. And what you hardly need any sources for is to see how he and Bryant basically can't stand one another. It was no secret around L.A. what all those post series comments were about. "We got to be committed to each other," said Ron Artest. "This year we wasn't as committed collectively, and that hurt us a lot." Said Bynum: "We just weren't doing it together."
With Derrick Rose out until at least late-December (and probably longer) and Luol Deng battling through the summer Olympics despite torn ligaments in his left wrist, the Bulls need someone else to carry the scoring load for the majority of the regular season in 2012-13. Gasol will turn 32 in July, but he's still a productive big man and the Lakers are primed to move him this summer. Smith says the Lakers have zero interest in Carlos Boozer, so that leaves big ticket players like Deng and Richard Hamilton as potential players that could match Gasol's large salary in a trade scenario.
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