An NBA expert is convinced that the Chicago Bulls will eventually look to trade away a pricey All-Star at some point this season.
Chicago has generally been on the wrong end of several lopsided trades thanks to the confounding dealmaking of team president Arturas Karnisovas and general manager Marc Eversley. The Bulls have moved off All-Star wings Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan (both now with the Sacramento Kings), two-time All-Defensive Team guard Alex Caruso (who just won his second NBA title, this time with the Oklahoma City Thunder), and 3-and-D guard Lonzo Ball.
Cumulatively, the Bulls have brought back just one future first-round draft pick (the rights to their own 2025 selection, which they used on forward Noah Essengue) plus a pair of second-rounders.
The Bulls’ frustrating dealmaking
Granted, Chicago also received several young players back, highlighted by the team’s acquisition of now-restricted free agent point guard Josh Giddey — but the Bulls roster deserved far more draft equity than they got.
Will former two-time All-Star Chicago center Nikola Vucevic be the next big name to be moved for a lackluster return haul?
The 6-foot-10 USC product, 35, is on an expiring $20 million deal for 2025-26.
Vucevic is very much a mixed bag on the court. He’s a stat stuffer, yes, and a good long-range shooter and passer for a big man. He rarely gets hurt.
But Vucevic also can’t defend anybody in space, and is too slow to be an effective rim protector. He occasionally seems to seek out more touches than he may warrant, disrupting the flow of an offense.
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In 73 healthy bouts last season for the 39-43 Bulls, Vucevic averaged 18.5 points while slashing .530/.402/.805 shooting splits, 10.1 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 0.8 steals and 0.7 blocks a night.
“[Karnisovas] has always been pretty open with me,” Vucevic told Lukas Katilius of BasketNews.
“Even just a couple of weeks ago, when the buyout news came out, he actually texted me to tell me not to worry about it and not to read into it. I have known AK for a long time,” Vucevic added. “When I did my pre-draft workout, he was with Houston and took me out to dinner for an interview. So I have known him for a very long time.”
Vucevic, who’s been on the Bulls since Karnisovas acquired him from the Orlando Magic at the 2021 trade deadline, is also eligible for a veteran contract extension at any point this year.
As the season winds on, opines Justin Grasso of FastBreak On SI, one of Vucevic or Chicago will seek a divorce.
The big man’s aptitude as a floor spacer should appeal to clubs seeking out that kind of offensive optionality from the center position, Grasso argues. Although, for the team being, Vucevic insists that all is fine in the Windy City, Grasso is skeptical that the mutual sunniness will hold all year.
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