Chicago Bulls backup power forward Taj Gibson is again the subject of recent trade rumors and this time he is being linked to the Toronto Raptors, who are reportedly seeking to add depth to their no. 4 spot currently filled-in by an undersized Luis Scola and NBA journeyman Patrick Patterson.

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The 30-year-old Gibson had been included in various trade rumors during the offseason as the Bulls are reportedly trying to manage a loaded frontline that has the likes of Pau Gasol, Joakim Noah, Nikola Mirotic, and this year's 22nd overall pick Bobby Portis, all of whom demand a lot of playing time to be effective.

Fox Sports reported months ago that Gibson is the first player likely to be traded if Chicago's frontcourt experiment takes off.

As of the moment, new head coach Fred Hoiberg is starting the Spanish duo of Gasol and Mirotic while Noah and Gibson are the primary substitutes, leaving the young Portis, who many NBA analysts have predicted to become a major contributor in Chicago, without much playing time to develop and improve.

The Bulls are currently 8-4 and at the third spot in the Eastern Conference so there seems to be no reason to panic or make any major moves at all, unless of course they want to let Portis rot on the bench playing only 10.0 minutes a night.

Sports Illustrated's Rob Mahoney suggested a trade to the Raptors for either Scola or Patterson that will benefit both squads' plans for the season.

While Scola is an affordable option, he cannot be traded until December 15 as he was just signed as a free agent last summer. Also, he is too old to be included in the aging group of the Bulls' frontcourt.

The 26-year-old Patterson is a more reasonable trade piece both in terms of age and salary and should also be a better fit to mediate Portis' adjustment to the NBA's style of play.

An ESPN Trade Machine simulation approved of a one-on-one trade between Gibson and Patterson, but the Bulls are sure to ask more from the Raptors in order for this deal to push through.

TagsNBA Trade Rumors, Chicago Bulls rumors, Toronto Raptors rumors, Toronto Raptors, Taj Gibson