Chicago Bulls C Nikola Vucevic is drawing some interest around the NBA ahead of the February 6 trade deadline. The big man is having another solid season for the Bulls, but with the current landscape of their team and the franchise planning for the future, a trade may be inevitable. ESPN’s Shams Charania has connected the Golden State Warriors to Vucevic in trade rumor reports, and Bulls reporter KC Johnson has hinted at “at least” two teams being intrigued by him.
Vucevic has been a model of stability in his time with the Bulls. He is having one of his best seasons in Chicago this year, averaging 20/10 with the best shooting percentages of his career: 55% from the field and 41% from distance. Vucevic’s production is enough to draw interest from teams around the league, but his affordable salary makes him one of the more manageable trade targets at this year’s deadline.
Nikola Vucevic Linked to Golden State Warriors
The Bulls are set to become one of the more popular sellers at this year’s NBA trade deadline. With Zach LaVine and Vucevic being the top targets on their roster for teams to trade for, the next couple of weeks will be hectic for the long-time teammates. LaVine has been connected to multiple teams in the trade market, but the conversation surrounding Vucevic has been concentrated on just one team until recently.
The Golden State Warriors are the preeminent candidate to acquire Vucevic before the February 6 deadline. ESPN’s Ohm Youngmisuk has corroborated these reports, saying, “Western Conference executives expect the Warriors to wait and see what the market will be on a player such as Chicago Bulls big man Nikola Vucevic as the Feb. 6 deadline nears. Vucevic would give Curry a much-needed scorer. The ideal situation for the Warriors would be the expiring contract for Vucevic, who makes $20 million this season.”
The Warriors are one of the more intriguing situations to observe at the deadline. Currently sitting at 21-22 and 11th in the West, the Warriors must decide what direction they want their franchise to take. Stephen Curry has commented on what he thinks about this year’s deadline.
“My hope is that [if there’s no action at the deadline], it’s not because of a lack of effort. If we don’t have a chance to get better, my whole thing is I want to win, and whatever that means, all efforts are pointed toward that, then I can kind of live with whatever happens. You have to have some reasonability on what a big trade actually means because, one, trades are really hard. The idea that there’s this magical deal that can solve everything is what it is.”
Other Options for the Chicago Bulls
The Warriors have leapt off the page as the top contender to acquire Vucevic, but there are other options for the Bulls. According to KC Johnson of CHSN, “With Nikola Vucevic there remains some optimism internally that he will be able to be moved. I know they have been engaged in some preliminary discussions with at least two teams in the league. So those conversations will continue as they get closer to the NBA trade deadline.”
There is rampant speculation as to which team Johnson could be referring to or what other league sources are hearing about the possibilities for the 34-year-old center’s future. A distinct possibility that just became much more enticing is the Dallas Mavericks, who just announced that they will be without their starting center, Dereck Lively II, for 2-3 months with a right ankle stress fracture injury. With Luka Doncic still injured, adding Vucevic could immediately provide a stopgap for Dallas and add a valuable weapon for the playoff push once the Mavs are back at full strength.
Final Thoughts
The Chicago Bulls can afford to wait until the deadline to deal Nikola Vucevic. He has been one of the focal points of their offensive operation for four-plus seasons, and his services will only increase in value as the trade deadline approaches. Teams will have lofty asks and inquiries that fall flat in the final weeks until the deadline and will be looking for a player like Vucevic with a manageable contract and plug-and-play capability.
The Golden State Warriors are the top contender to land the services of the Montenegrin big man, but as KC Johnson reported, mystery teams loom in the trade market. His value for Chicago is as a trade chit, and moving him ahead of the trade deadline will be the best move for the franchise moving forward. It should be interesting to see if any news comes out regarding the discussions between Chicago and Golden State in the next couple of days, with the Warriors and Bulls playing each other tonight.
