The Chicago Bulls did the right thing this offseason— they let virtually all of their pending free agents walk.
Under a new lead executive in Bryson Graham, it was time for a new vision to be instituted in Chicago. Graham has done so successfully to this point. He added Caleb Wilson and Dailyn Swain in the NBA Draft, and he brought in veterans Nic Claxton and Norman Powell this offseason to help raise the floor of the roster.
This team isn't ready to compete, but they're on a much better trajectory than they were just a couple months ago.
Most of the pieces the Bulls let walk, moreover, have found new homes. Anfernee Simons signed with the Philadelphia 76ers. Collin Sexton landed a major role with the Los Angeles Lakers. Both Guerschon Yabusele and Lachlan Olbrich are headed overseas.
At this point, there's only one major former Bull lingering on the market— backup big man Nick Richards. But he could quickly become one of the most impactful signings of this portion of the offseason if he winds up with the right team.
Nick Richards could be a valuable signing for any team looking for big man depth— even if the Bulls didn't need him
The Bulls certainly aren't deep at the center position even after their trade for Claxton and their re-signing of Zach Collins. But with Jalen Smith and Caleb Wilson in the fold, Chicago has plenty of size in the frontcourt to keep their rotation afloat. Bringing Richards back would've only unnecessarily bloated the depth chart.
Richards also wasn't particularly impressive in a Bulls uniform. Across 20 games with the team after his acquisition at the trade deadline, he averaged just 9.4 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 0.4 assists while shooting 52.3% from the floor.
Those are solid numbers, especially for a rebounding big man, but they're not of the sort that teams would've been leaping to sign him early in the offseason.
Now that we've reached the doldrums of the NBA calendar, though, there are still teams looking for big man depth— and Richards could be the perfect value signing. As he enters his seventh NBA season, he should be available on a veteran minimum for any team with a roster spot.
The New York Knicks likely still need additional center depth after the departure of Mitchell Robinson to the Boston Celtics this offseason. They currently have just Karl-Anthony Towns and Andre Drummond at the position, and Richards (despite his health issues) could provide some valuable rebounding and defensive minutes to their rotation.
The Philadelphia 76ers are in the same boat after their signing of LeBron James. They currently have an open roster spot, and Joel Embiid's health will require them to shore up their depth at the position before the start of the season.
Richards would be an end-of-bench contributor on either team. But over the course of an 82-game regular season, he would have a chance to make a major impact as a depth piece for either of those contenders. The Bulls may not have needed him this offseason, but it seems like he'll find a solid fit before we round into training camp in September.
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