The Chicago Bulls cleaned house this offseason, and in the process they may have left behind a useful late-summer bargain in Nick Richards.
Under new lead executive Bryson Graham, Chicago moved toward a different look almost immediately. The front office added Caleb Wilson and Dailyn Swain in the NBA Draft, then brought in Nic Claxton and Norman Powell to lift the roster’s baseline. The Bulls still aren’t built to contend, but the direction is clearer than it was a few months ago.
A lot of the players who were allowed to move on have already landed elsewhere. Anfernee Simons signed with the Philadelphia 76ers.
Collin Sexton found a major role with the Los Angeles Lakers. Guerschon Yabusele and Lachlan Olbrich are headed overseas.
That leaves Richards as the biggest former Bull still sitting on the market, and he could end up being one of the more useful pickups of the offseason for the right team.
Chicago probably never needed him back. Even after the trade for Claxton and the re-signing of Zach Collins, the Bulls aren’t exactly overflowing with center depth.
But with Jalen Smith and Caleb Wilson in the frontcourt mix, there’s enough size there to keep the rotation from falling apart. Adding Richards would have crowded things more than it would have helped.
His stint in Chicago also didn’t exactly scream must-sign. In 20 games after arriving at the trade deadline, Richards put up 9.4 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 0.4 assists while shooting 52.3% from the field. Those are useful numbers for a rebound-first big, but not the kind that usually gets teams rushing to the phone in July.
This is the part of the NBA calendar where patience starts to pay off, though. Teams still hunting for frontcourt help could look at Richards as a clean veteran-minimum swing. He’s entering his seventh season, and for a club with an open roster spot, he’s the kind of low-cost depth piece that can quietly matter.
The New York Knicks are one possible landing spot. They may still need center help after Mitchell Robinson’s departure to the Boston Celtics this offseason, and right now the position group is just Karl-Anthony Towns and Andre Drummond. Richards, health concerns and all, could give them rebounding and defensive minutes.
The Philadelphia 76ers are in a similar spot after their signing of LeBron James. They have an open roster spot, and Joel Embiid’s health makes it clear they need more insurance at center before the season begins.
On either roster, Richards would be an end-of-bench piece. But over an 82-game season, that kind of player can still swing things in a meaningful way. Chicago didn’t need him, but it looks like he should find a fit before training camp opens in September.
In Other News...
Bulls Schedule Puts Early Pressure On A Rebuild Already Under Scrutiny
The NBAs release of the 2026-27 schedule gives the Bulls their first real road map for a season that already figures to be watched closely in Chicago. They open with two road games before coming home for a matchup with the Washington Wizards, and the league has also handed them three nationally televised games, a small but meaningful sign that the Bulls will remain under a brighter spotlight than some of their peers during the first months of the rebuild.
Beyond the marquee dates, the slate lays out the kind of grind that can shape how a young roster is judged: back-to-backs, extended road trips, the NBA Cup group stage and a handful of noted return dates for players who will draw extra attention whenever the Bulls see them. For a team trying to establish direction while answering questions about the rebuild, the schedule does not offer much breathing room, and Chicago will find out quickly whether its reset can hold up against the travel and the scrutiny. [Read more 🡒]
Bulls Keep Reshaping Their Staff Around A Very Clear Future
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Bryson Graham and Tiago Splitter have been steering a broader staff overhaul, and Brinks arrival is another sign that the Bulls are building with a clear long view in mind. For a team trying to align its front office, coaching staff and player development infrastructure, these hires matter because they point to a unified plan rather than isolated moves. [Read more 🡒]
Bulls Suddenly Have A Real Chance At A Young Backcourt Upgrade
Bennedict Mathurins future has become one of the more interesting offseason plots for a Bulls team that is still looking for ways to add young talent to the backcourt. The restricted free agent was acquired by the Los Angeles Clippers, but he has not gotten a clear signal that a new contract offer is coming, and the Clippers recent decision to re-sign Bradley Beal only adds another layer to the uncertainty around where Mathurin fits.
For Chicago, the appeal is obvious. The Bulls have been searching for a way to upgrade their guard rotation with a player who still has room to grow, and Mathurin checks that box if the market opens up the right way. There have been exploratory conversations between the two sides, and the structure of a deal would tell a lot about how aggressively Chicago wants to pursue the upside here. For now, it is enough to say the Bulls have positioned themselves in a conversation that could matter more as the rest of free agency settles in. [Read more 🡒]