NBA Free Agent Rumors: 5 Teams Chasing Joel Przybilla

The NBA offseason has spilled over into the regular season. Most of the free agents have been signed, but there are are still a few second-tier players floating about.

One of the most coveted players on the market right now is Joel Przybilla. 

Przybilla is an 11-year veteran who has career averages of 4.0 points and 6.3 rebounds. He's not going to be a a huge difference-maker wherever he goes, but there are numerous teams that like what he brings, which is solid rebounding and defense as a backup center, i.e. a player who could be a nice back-end part to the rotation. 

Here are five teams, in alphabetical order, that are the most likely landing spots for Przybilla. 

Chicago Bulls

While these reports are older, that doesn't make them outdated. The reason is that Przybilla made it known that he was going to make his decision after Christmas.

Two weeks ago, the Chicago Tribune reported:

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With veteran big man Kurt Thomas signing with the Trail Blazers on Sunday, Hamilton's imminent addition could complete the roster for now. John Lucas III and Brian Scalabrine likely will open the season with non-guaranteed deals. A reserve big man eventually could be added. Sources said Joel Przybilla could be contacted. The veteran center has said he wants to spend the holidays with his family in Wisconsin before making a decision on his future.

"

With the Bulls, Przybilla would fill the fifth big man spot and could be in line to jump over Omer Asik in the starting rotation should incumbent starter, Joakim Noah, go down with injury.

The reason he might do that is that coach Tom Thibodeau loves-loves-loves the bench rotation the way it is and has been reluctant to dabble with it in the past. 

Los Angeles Clippers

The Los Angeles Clippers have tremendous depth at the the point guards and wings, but the depth at the bigs is much more in the "eh, not so much" category. 

Actually, to expand on the depth at the point guards and wings, the lost sight of all the offseason moves is that players like Ryan Gomes, Eric Bledsoe and Randy Foye, who got a lot of starts last year, as well as Maurice Williams, are now on the bench. That's a pretty productive bench. 

But it's a very small bench. They have one player over 6'9" on the pine, and he's gotten eight minutes of playing time in the first two games. 

Przybilla would be a "big" difference for their bench. 

Dallas Mavericks

There is a slight chance the Dallas Mavericks are rethinking letting Tyson Chandler go. By "slight," I mean about 99.9 percent. Maybe they would do the same thing if they had to do it over, but they might think about it a lot harder.

Brendan Haywood is simply not the same type of defender as Chandler. Reports are that Dallas is looking at Przybilla. 

Przybilla doesn't seem like the answer here either. Chandler's strength was his speed and intensity. I know it might sound like outside-the-box thinking, but I wonder if the best recourse for the Mavericks is to start Lamar Odom at center.

He is more the "Chandler/Noah" type of player that has the speed to rotate well and pick up incoming wings on the zone. He played the center for the US team well enough and did play some center in Los Angeles. 

Miami Heat

Eddy Curry is the backup center for the Miami Heat. Is that something that really needs to be expanded on? Curry has played 10 games in the last eight years, totaling 74 minutes in playing time. 

While, as with all things Heat related, there's been much ado about Curry's "career revival" forgive me if I'm skeptical. The fact that Przybilla's been mentioned suggests the Heat aren't positive Curry is the answer either. 

In all fairness, I think Miami is the best landing spot for the Heat and would make them even scarier than they already are. It's going to give Przybilla his best chance for winning a ring, and it's not going to make a difference in his paycheck.

He would also get the best chance of being a part of the rotation, while having the luxury of not having to play extended minutes and aggravating his knees. 

Milwaukee Bucks

The Milwaukee Bucks are a team that can never have too many backup centers, or backups at any position for that matter. Last year they had a litany of injuries. Andrew Bogut missed his share of games as well, being absent for 17 contests. 

The Bucks think Przybilla might be the answer. 

Przybilla is a similar type of player, though far less talented. Still, the Wisconsin native would be at home with the Bucks, both on and off the court, and his signing there is not at all out of the question.