1. Eric Paschall
Of all the currently available free agents, the one I’m most surprised has yet to find a new home for the 2022-23 season is former Warriors and Jazz forward Eric Paschall. The former 2020 All-Rookie Team member is still available to be signed even after posting arguably the best season of his career in Utah.
Paschall’s raw statistical production has dropped significantly each year, but with it, his efficiency has increased dramatically. Take, for instance, he scored 14 points per game with a 57.2 true shooting percentage as a rookie. In his third year, however, he scored just 5.8 points per game on a dramatically more efficient 61.2 true shooting mark. Whether it be his box plus/minus, value over replacement player, or win shares per 48 minutes, Paschall has improved dramatically in nearly every advanced metric imaginable.
Eric Paschall is undoubtedly the best remaining free agent the Chicago Bulls could still sign.
With the size and strength to defend both forward positions and a sweet 37% 3-point shooting stroke, it’s odd that more teams aren’t rushing to enquire about his services. Granted, it’s unrealistic to expect him to shoot at a high volume (or do anything at a high volume, truth be told), but he’s young enough and talented enough to find a role at the end of the bench for several contenders and rebuilding teams alike.
Paschall has endeared himself to the fans of both franchises he’s played for, and for good reason. Ironically, Paschall’s game largely resembles NBA rookie E.J. Liddell, a player a large portion of the fanbase wanted the Chicago Bulls to pick No. 18 overall. With Paschall, the Bulls could potentially pick up a similar player without having to expend a draft pick.
He certainly needs to work on his lateral mobility, but there’s no denying the talent Paschall has, as evidenced by the 34 points and 13 rebounds he posted in just his seventh game as a rookie. While he may never reclaim the scoring success he had as a rookie, I believe Paschall is exactly the type of player who could thrive in Chicago’s locker room.