Bulls trading places; Richard in, Hunter out
After getting crushed on the boards in a loss to Atlanta on Monday, the Bulls decided not to wait any longer to bring in an extra big man.
Coach Vinny Del Negro confirmed that 6-foot-9 power forward Chris Richard will return, most likely in time for Wednesday's practice.
Richard spent the preseason with the Bulls, then was signed to a pair of 10-day contracts in February but was released when a pair of trades left the team with one too many players.
Before being let go, Richard played as many as 20 minutes in a couple of games. His best outing was 7 rebounds and 2 blocks against Miami on Feb. 6.
With the team's leading rebounders - Joakim Noah and Luol Deng - out with injuries, the Hawks built a 63-37 advantage on the boards and pulled away late to win 116-92 at the United Center.
"One guy's not going to control the glass for us," Del Negro said following Tuesday's light practice at the Berto Center. "It's going to help. Chris, I thought he did a good job when he was here. He knows what we're doing. He's a good kid."
Before Richard is officially signed, another player must go, and the Bulls plan to release veteran guard Lindsey Hunter. He already started the transition Tuesday, dressed more like a coach than a player at practice.
Hunter will stay with the team in some capacity for the rest of the season. He's a candidate to join the coaching staff, but that will be settled during the summer.
"We'll keep Lindsey around in some capacity," Del Negro said. "We'll just work it from there."
This brings a quiet end to a remarkable career. Hunter was the NBA's oldest active player at 39. His last game appearance was Jan. 11, against Detroit, the team that originally drafted him in 1993.
Hunter bounced around a little bit but spent 12 of his 17 NBA seasons with the Pistons. He won championships with the Lakers in 2002 and the Pistons in '04.
During his long career, the 6-2 Hunter transitioned from a true point guard to a 3-point shooter to a defensive specialist. The Bulls brought him in last season to serve as a mentor to Derrick Rose and were happy enough with the results to re-sign him for a second season.
In the meantime, the Bulls practiced without five regulars Tuesday. Rose and Deng rested sore knees and hope to be back on the court Thursday when the Bulls host Memphis.
Del Negro said Rose had some slight swelling in his knee after colliding with Atlanta's Mike Bibby on Monday. Rose did return to play in the second half.
Deng injured his knee last week against Indiana, played in the next two games, but couldn't go Monday.
Noah still is out indefinitely with plantar fasciitis in his left foot. He did shoot free throws at practice while wearing a walking boot. Kirk Hinrich and Brad Miller skipped practice mostly because they needed some extra rest.
The Bulls still managed to hold a remarkably spirited practice, with the players on the sideline cheering loudly during a rotating game of 1-on-1 featuring Joe Alexander, James Johnson, Jannero Pargo, Devin Brown, Acie Law and massive center Jerome James.
Alexander hasn't played much during two NBA seasons, but he showed off his remarkable athleticism by schooling player after player in Tuesday's 1-on-1 session.
"I like Joe," Del Negro said. "We haven't had a full practice, so he hasn't really scrimmaged with us yet. But he's an athletic kid and a really good kid. Hopefully, eventually, he'll get some type of opportunity, but right now he's not in the rotation."