Zach

Collins

Richards was rerouted from Milwaukee after initially being traded from Phoenix. The initial trade was expanded to include Dieng, with the first deal sending Richards and Nigel Hayes-Davis to the Bucks for Cole Anthony and Amir Coffey. Chicago traded Nikola Vucevic already, so Richards will be in the center rotation alongside Jalen Smith and Zach Collins. Smith should start, but he may not be the coveted option for the rest of the season that managers were hoping he would be if Richards takes away some of his minutes.

Collins has been out since late December, and a return to action does not appear to be on the horizon. Bulls head coach Billy Donovan said on Wednesday that the 6-foot-11 forward/center is still in a walking boot and he’ll be re-evaluated in two weeks. The Bulls will continue to rely on Nikola Vučević and Jalen Smith, with the latter having recently moved into the starting lineup.

Collins has been out since late December with a sprained left big toe. Bulls head coach Billy Donovan said on Saturday that the 6-foot-11 forward/center suffered a “pretty significant sprain” and will remain in a walking boot for the foreseeable future. Surgery isn’t currently on the table, but the team has been seeking additional opinions on Collins’ injury. Chicago will continue to rely on Jalen Smith to absorb most of the backup center minutes.

Collins’ absence means Jalen Smith should operate as the primary backup center behind Nikola Vučević. Even with an increased role, Smith is unlikely to be productive enough to warrant consideration outside of deeper fantasy leagues.

Collins was diagnosed with a sprained left big toe ahead of Monday’s loss to the Timberwolves, and the Bulls have not provided a return timeline. Jalen Smith will figure more prominently in the Bulls’ rotation, but he’s unlikely to reach the point where he should be rostered in most fantasy leagues since Nikola Vučević is healthy.

Collins was ruled out for Monday’s game with a sore left big toe, but he has since been diagnosed with a sprain. According to Bulls head coach Billy Donovan, the 6-foot-11 forward/center is not likely to play this week. Look for Jalen Smith to pick up a few more minutes, sometimes playing alongside starting center Nikola Vučević.

Collins is dealing with soreness in his left big toe and will not play against the Timberwolves. That leaves Jalen Smith to handle the available minutes behind starter Nikola Vučević, but he’s only worthy of consideration in deep leagues.

Collins was initially probable for Friday’s game, so the status upgrade was expected. With Jalen Smith also in the Bulls’ rotation, neither is likely to get the minutes needed to affect fantasy basketball.

Collins most recently played 16 minutes in Wednesday’s win over the Cavaliers. The probable tag suggests he will play on Friday, but his playing time will be limited with Nikola Vučević in the starting lineup.

After playing 21 and 19 minutes in his first two appearances of the season, Collins logged 20 minutes on Friday. While the production was good, the true attention-grabber was the fact that he was part of the Bulls’ closing lineup, with starting center Nikola Vučević (13/3/4 with one block and one three-pointer in 22 minutes) watching from the bench despite not being in foul trouble. With Jalen Smith (5/10/1/1/1 with one three-pointer) playing 17 minutes and sharing the court with Collins at times, this is a position to monitor in the short term. Chicago sticking with this setup would make Collins worthy of a look in deep leagues.