The current six-game road trip could determine which direction the Bulls' front office decides to go before the Feb. 23 trade deadline. Will they consider adding a veteran shooter to improve their playoff chances, or is it time to accelerate the rebuild by selling off players who don't figure to be a part of the team going forward?

With 49 games in the books, it seems unlikely John Paxson and Gar Forman feel strong enough about the Bulls' playoff prospects to give up anything of value for a short-term boost. The roster is headed towards another significant overhaul this summer, so why not get a jump start by cashing in players like Taj Gibson, Nikola Mirotic and Michael Carter-Williams, who are likely to leave in free agency?

It's no secret the Bulls have been shopping Mirotic, who's struggling badly in his third NBA season, shooting just 39 percent from the field and 30 percent from 3-point range. Mirotic was hoping to cash in big this summer as a restricted free agent, but poor play seems to have cratered his market. The Bulls' front office will have to decide whether to trade Mirotic for 25 cents on the dollar or hang onto him with a short-term, modest contract offer, hoping the soon-to-be 26-year-old can bounce back in 2017-18.

Gibson's situation is a lot different considering the popular veteran turns 32 in June and is hoping to land one more big contract in free agency. As solid and productive as Gibson has been during his eight seasons in Chicago, the Bulls should not be the team to get locked into a long-term contract with a declining player as they try to build back up to contending status. Maybe a team like Toronto, Boston or Golden State would offer a late first-round pick to add a dependable frontcourt player like Gibson for the stretch run.

It's amazing how quickly Carter-Williams has fallen out of favor in his first season with the Bulls. The front office and coaching staff were thrilled to get the former Rookie of the Year from Milwaukee in the preseason trade for Tony Snell, but after suffering serious wrist and knee injuries in the third game of the regular season, Carter-Williams had to sit out for nearly two months. He was quickly promoted to the starting lineup after his return but is now languishing at the end of the bench behind both Jerian Grant and Rajon Rondo. Carter-Williams has already been traded twice in his three and a half seasons in the NBA, and don't be surprised if he's on the move again this month.

Of course, trading Carter-Williams, Gibson or Mirotic really won't make a big difference in the direction of the franchise. The next big decision for the front office is likely to come before the June draft, when Jimmy Butler's name again figures to come up in trade rumors. Look for Boston to make another run for Butler this summer, this time holding an expected top-three pick from Brooklyn as the major piece in a potential deal. The 2017 Draft could be one of the best in the last 15 years, headlined by three elite point-guard prospects: Washington's Markelle Fultz, UCLA's Lonzo Ball and North Carolina State's Dennis Smith Jr.

It won't be easy to get equal value for a 27-year-old All-Star starter who is now considered to be among the top 10 to 15 players in the league. But with the new collective bargaining agreement increasing the incentives for free agents to remain with their current teams, trading for a high lottery pick and other assets might be the best course of action to jump-start a rebuild.

Speaking of lottery picks, last summer's No. 1 selection Denzel Valentine has been assigned to the Windy City Bulls for the rest of the week to play in three road games out east. Valentine made eight 3-pointers in a D-League game last Saturday, and Fred Hoiberg told reporters the rookie will be given a lot of ball-handling responsibility during his time with Windy City. Could Valentine return as the Bulls' starting point guard? In this strange season, anything is possible.

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Here are a few stories from around the Association that have caught my attention.

King James vs. Sir Charles

Another great drama going on in the NBA this week. TNT analyst and Hall of Famer Charles Barkley criticized LeBron James on "Inside the NBA," saying James was being "whiny" for asking Cavaliers management to add another playmaker to the roster.

Barkley said on the show: "The Cleveland Cavaliers, they have given him everything he wanted. They have the highest payroll in NBA history. He wanted J.R. Smith last summer, they paid him. He wanted Iman Shumpert last summer. They brought in Kyle Korver. He's the best player in the world. Does he want all of the good players? He don't want to compete? He is an amazing player. They're the defending champs."

James finally responded Monday night after another surprising loss in Dallas, telling ESPN, "I'm not going to let him disrespect my legacy like that.

"I'm not the one who threw somebody through a window. I never spit on a kid. I never had unpaid debt in Las Vegas. I never said, 'I'm not a role model.' I never showed up to All-Star weekend on Sunday because I was in Vegas all weekend partying.

"All I've done for my entire career is represent the NBA the right way. Fourteen years, never got in trouble. Respected the game. Print that."

And, when you take on one member of the banana boat gang (James, Dwyane Wade, Carmelo Anthony and Chris Paul), you can probably expect to hear from the other three. Here's Wade on Barkley's comments after Bulls practice Tuesday afternoon at the Advocate Center.

"Thank God (James) finally said something. LeBron, a lot of guys take a lot of shots at him, for whatever reason. He's always been (a focal point like) all of the great players in the game. He just has kept his mouth closed, continued to focus on what he need to. But it's about time he said something. Guys ride him, especially ex-players. When you got a history, when you can go and Google your history, you need to be a little careful with what you say. Sometimes when guys get on a microphone in front of their face they just talk and talk and talk and forget about their history. We all make that mistake, but especially that guy on TV, he acts like he just walked on water. I like the fact that Bron called him out and told him about it himself a little bit. Humble yourself. LeBron is who he is. We all have flaws, but when your flaws are a little bit more, then you should shut up. So I'm glad LJ finally said something and stood up for himself from that standpoint. He said there's a new sheriff in town, so I'm excited to see what's next."

Appearing on ESPN 1000’s Waddle and Silvy show Tuesday afternoon, Barkley had this response to Wade’s comments, "He's humbled playing for that team (the Bulls)."

For years now, Barkley has used his television pulpit to complain about the state of the NBA and the lack of quality teams in the league. Seems like Charles has fallen into the trap of so many ex-athletes, believing their sport will never be as good as the days when they were stars. TNT's postgame show used to be must-see TV, but unfortunately it's deteriorated into Barkley and Shaquille O'Neal trading insults across the set, talking nonsense while Ernie Johnson tries to go through highlights and offering little insight into what's happening on the court. Good for James for finally calling Barkley out.

The latest on the Melo-drama

Meanwhile, another member of the Fantastic Four met with reporters after shootaround Tuesday in Washington. Carmelo Anthony said he hasn't had any discussions with Knicks management about possible trades and that if he's approached about waiving his no-trade clause, the decision will be made based on what's best for his family.

Anthony also conceded the prospect of joining a good friend like Paul in Los Angeles or James in Cleveland is something he has thought about.

"Those considerations and thoughts will always be," Anthony told Newsday. "That's something we all think about as athletes, try to play with another. We talk about it from high school and college. These are conversations that we've had years before any of this ever came up."

Will Celtics make a big move?

Reportedly, the Celtics are also interested in acquiring Anthony, but it's much less likely he would accept a deal to Boston. The Trib's K.C. Johnson reports some league executives expect the Celtics to re-engage the Bulls on trade talks for Butler, but as mentioned above, that type of deal centering on draft picks is much more likely to happen in the offseason.

Still, you can't blame Danny Ainge for looking to add another star right away. With the Cavs and Raptors both suffering through January slumps, Boston has moved into second place in the East and could give Cleveland a battle in the Conference Finals with the right addition. Isaiah Thomas is coming off a sensational month, averaging almost 33 points a game, while continuing to lead the league in fourth-quarter scoring. If Ainge can add a dynamic wing scorer before the deadline, the Celtics will be a team to watch come playoff time.

Stats of the week

With the Bulls out of town on the annual "Ice Show" trip, here's a look at how they've done in recent years, courtesy of our stats cruncher Chris Kamka.

Until last season, the Bulls had done well on the trip, finishing with at least a .500 record. Hoiberg's first Bulls team went 2-5 during the annual January/February journey out West. Hopefully, that's not a sign of things to come over the next two weeks.

And here's another example of why the Bulls have been hovering around the .500 mark all season. The Bulls are are a combined 5-2 against the Spurs, Cavs, Clippers, Jazz and Raptors — five of the top seven teams in the league. They're a combined 5-5 against the Timberwolves, Heat, Mavericks, Lakers and Nets — five of the worst six teams in the league.

Quote of the week

Yes, the Bulls lost both of their meetings with Dallas, even though the Mavericks were missing key players because of injuries at the time. Veteran coach Rick Carlisle led Dallas to an NBA title back in 2011, and he's known around the league as a no-nonsense guy not afraid to say what's on his mind.

Check out this beauty after his Mavs knocked off the defending NBA champion Cavs on Monday night.

"We're a s--t team, but we're an underrated s--t team. That's about as accurately as I can put it."

Thanks for the honesty coach.