As seen with the Chicago Bulls' performance in the tail end of the 2024-25 NBA regular season, it is finally time to fully step into a new era of the team.
That means finally making one move that has been talked about for years: trading Nikola Vucevic. It's been a long time coming, but fans can finally expect to be saying goodbye this offseason.
Reasons To Trade Nikola Vucevic
Chicago moved away from DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine over the past year. Along with those two, Vucevic was the one other player who was meant to be a key piece in a team that was meant to fight for playoff wins. While that dream never came to fruition, Vucevic remains on the roster as the last symbol of that failed experiment.
Though he's been extremely consistent and reliable over his four and a half seasons with the team, Vucevic puts a wrench into both the timeline and future payroll of a new era of the Bulls. At 34 years old and set to be owed $21 million in 2025-26, Chicago should trade him as soon as possible, regardless of his value on the court.
He is by far the team's oldest player, and his remaining contract next season will be the highest on the team, barring any extensions given this offseason.
Vucevic was solid in Chicago, but he isn't being put to the best use playing around a bunch of players in their early to mid-20s. For Chicago's stars like Coby White and Josh Giddey, it is much more worth it to find a younger big man who could better run the floor on a fast break or bring a little bit more athleticism to the table.
Vucevic By The Numbers
The 18.5 points, 10.1 rebounds, and 3.5 assists on 53/40.2/80.5 shooting splits in 73 games is nothing to scoff at by Vucevic this season. Only six players in the league averaged at least those numbers, including Nikola Jokic, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Victor Wembanyama.
His averages throughout his tenure with Chicago are very similar, and he even had a jump in shooting this season compared to the past four.
Along with those consistent statistics, Vucevic has also proven to be one of the most durable players in the NBA this decade. In his four full seasons played with the Bulls, he ranks 16th in the league in terms of games played, appearing in 304 of a possible 328 total contests.
Even more so, Vucevic has been in the fifth-most games since he entered the league in 2011. The only players who have appeared in more are DeRozan, Harrison Barnes, James Harden, and Russell Westbrook. As they say, the best ability is availability, and Vucevic has delivered that better than most.
Many might see these numbers and make the argument that Vucevic is too valuable to the team to be traded. However, these numbers are the exact reason why the Bulls should trade him. He's proven to still be a valuable player, but that means he could garner a big enough trade package that would benefit Chicago's timeline.
Possible Vucevic Trade Destinations
The Golden State Warriors have been rumored to be interested in trading for Vucevic for the past few years, though it has yet to ever become a reality. He would much better fit their timeline with Stephen Curry and Jimmy Butler, and could immediately make an impact on a team hopeful of contending for a title.
The one downside would be that for Chicago, they wouldn't be able to fill in the gaps that Vucevic's absence would create. The Bulls would likely get back Jonathan Kuminga and either Quinten Post or Trayce Jackson-Davis in a deal for Vucevic. But Golden State doesn't have an established big man that could fill the role that Chicago needs, and a third team might have to get involved to make a trade work.
Another similar option would be for Vucevic to be traded to the Los Angeles Lakers. While the team did have a trade for Mark Williams fall through, he would perfectly fit the type of player Chicago would be looking for in return.
Instead, the Bulls would likely receive back either Rui Hachimura or Dorian Finney-Smith and Jaxson Hayes. But again, none of them would be worthy of a starting center position in Chicago, so it might not be a realistic move.
One final option for Vucevic could be sending him to Detroit, who could give up either Jalen Duren or Isaiah Stewart in return. The Pistons are looking to take advantage of Cade Cunningham's leap this season, and adding Vucevic to a roster ready to fight for playoff wins could be beneficial for them.
Trading Vucevic during this offseason would be a clear signal that the Bulls are finally committed to building around their young core. Their previous experiment didn’t deliver, and keeping Vucevic just delays any potential progress going forward.
Perhaps most importantly, it would show fans that the front office is ready to embrace a long-term vision, something that’s been missing in Chicago for a long time.