Chicago Bulls: 30 greatest players in franchise history

After the Bulls missed on Carmelo Anthony during the summer of 2014, they turned their attention to future Hall of Famer Pau Gasol. Gasol had just finished up six-plus seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers, with two titles to his name, but he was ready to move on to a new situation.

The Bulls’ acquisition of Gasol was somewhat controversial given the presence of Joakim Noah, who had just finished off a campaign in which he received MVP votes and won Defensive Player of the Year. The duo never quite meshed and Gasol’s two-year tenure with the Bulls ultimately ended in disappointment, but it’s hard to overlook just how productive Pau was in Chicago.

Gasol went to the All-Star Game in both 2015 and 2016, and he averaged 17.6 points, 11.4 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 2.0 blocks in 33.1 minutes per game over those two seasons. He was named to the All-NBA second team in 2015 as the Bulls won 50 games and made it to the second round of the playoffs. The Bulls had LeBron James’ Cleveland Cavaliers on the ropes in that second round, but a Gasol injury and Game 4 collapse helped thwart the potential upset.

The Bulls nearly traded Gasol in 2016, but they kept him in hopes of making a run to the postseason. That didn’t happen, and the big man signed with the San Antonio Spurs that summer to end his brief stint in Chicago. His 22.2 Player Efficiency Rating, 11.4 rebounds and 2.0 blocks per game are second in Bulls history.