Why the Chicago Bulls trade for center Nikola Vucevic should be praised by fans, but the work by general manager Marc Eversley isn’t done yet.
Newly-acquired Chicago Bulls center Nikola Vucevic is a sure thing. Center Wendall Carter Jr. and first-round picks in 2021 and 2023 are not, and don’t get me started on forward Otto Porter Jr. The Bulls walk away from this deal with the only sure thing involved in Vucevic.
In an Eastern Conference that is fully up for grabs, the move for Vucevic allows the Bulls to contend now and in the future, and if nothing else, makes them more watchable than they were 24 hours ago.
On the other hand, the Houston Rockets traded star James Harden to the Brooklyn Nets in January and star Victor Oladipo today for a grand total of…wait for it…Avery Bradley, Kelly Olynyk, Dante Exum, Rodions Kurucs and a handful of late-round draft picks.
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A combo of Zach LaVine-Vucevic and surrounding pieces in Coby White, Patrick Williams, Daniel Theis and maybe Lauri Markkanen (pending restricted free agent), the Bulls are a package deal away from having a team that can be mentioned with the likes of the Los Angeles Lakers and Clippers, Utah Jazz, Miami Heat, Milwaukee Bucks and Brooklyn Nets if general manager Marc Eversley continues to push the right buttons like he did today.
That’s why while the Bulls are more competitive and a more entertaining team to watch, but are still are one more big move away. That big move won’t happen until the offseason but the assets are there to make it happen.
The positive is that Eversley seems to agree. With rumors of acquiring point guard Lonzo Ball swirling around all day, Eversley knows this team needs more to win. They are competing with rosters that bolster Kyrie Irving, Kevin Durant and Harden, and Goran Dragić, Victor Oladipo, Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo and more.
That’s why fans need to hold off on championship talk for 2021. It is still fair to expect more entertainment down the stretch though. It’s important to remember that Vucevic is a sure thing, the prospects and the picks are not. That is welcoming news for Bulls fans who are hungry for a winner again.