The Latest On Rasheed Wallace’s Potential NBA Comeback

Don’t get me wrong, I’m a huge Rasheed Wallace fan. But an NBA comeback in an already shortened season? This just doesn’t make sense. He played 15 seasons, made over $150 million and won a championship. What more does he have to prove? Regardless, this is what we’re hearing.

From Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports:

Wallace, who retired after 15 seasons in 2010, has been working out and probing some close league friends about possible destinations to sign for the rest of the season, sources said.

At 6-foot-11, Wallace, 37, had been one of the most versatile and talented power forwards of his era. One league source who has talked with Wallace recently describes him as “serious” about a return to the NBA this season. Nevertheless, no teams contacted by Yahoo! Sports reported that they had any contact with Wallace, or his representative.

When reached on Friday, Wallace’s agent, Bill Strickland, would only tell Yahoo! Sports’ Marc Spears: “As a veteran player, [Wallace] knows what it takes to be reinstated.”

So assuming Wallace wants to return, who takes a chance on him? As Wojnarowski notes, “In a limited role, several GMs told Yahoo! they still believe his scoring and defending ability would probably be better than anyone else available to them.” Teams like Atlanta and Golden State just lost bigs for the next few months, and Wallace could potentially step right in and contribute. Wallace also clearly holds appeal for teams contending for an NBA title, but after 18 months away from the game, everyone is worried about his shape and conditioning in a condensed season.

Assuming he’s ready to go, one intriguing situation could be playing for the Chicago Bulls. According to Nick Friedell of ESPNChicago.com, “It makes sense to take a look if he’s in shape.” Wallace already has a comfort level with Tom Thibodeau, as well as played with Rip Hamilton in Detroit and Brian Scalabrine in Boston. The Bulls need another big, and Wallace very well could be the guy.

What about a return to Boston? A league source told A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com on Thursday night that Wallace would consider the Celtics, but that “he’s going to look at all his options” before making a decision. This morning, Blakely reported that Boston currently has “no interest” in bringing him back.

What do you think? Should a team take a chance on Wallace?

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