So who wants more buckets in their lineup? Potentially 20 points per night? Free agent swingman Jason Richardson seems like a pretty good get for a lot of different teams, especially for a franchise like the Chicago Bulls, who are probably just a player or two away from making a real run at a title.
It’s a fact not lost on the Bulls or a bunch of other teams as they’re officially allowed to talk directly to free agents today. I wouldn’t be surprised to see J-Rich get a lot of attention from teams, he makes a lot of sense for a lot of clubs.
As stated before, he’d be a nice fit for the Bulls. Entering his 11th NBA season, Richardson can clearly still play, as evidenced by his almost 20 points per night in his final 25 games with the Phoenix Suns last season. He’s reportedly among the top targets on the Bulls’ free agent list. And if they don’t get J-Rich? Vince Carter is lurking.
The other teams rumored to be in the mix are the Knicks and Nets. For the Knicks, he’d be another weapon on their road “back to respectability” (as I saw it referenced in a New York news interview with Carmelo Anthony over the weekend). Another reliable scoring option to shoulder the load with Melo and Amar’e is obviously much-needed in New York.
The Nets, though, are so far away from being in any kind of “contender” discussion, making the moves to add a veteran like Richardson would almost be more about showing Deron Williams (and Dwight Howard) that they’re committed to spending the money to get better, even if it’s a better play to use their resources to compile young, athletic assets.
Is there any way that the Bulls let Jason Richardson go to another team?
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