3 Bulls most likely to be traded by end of 2022-23 season
All summer long, fans of the Chicago Bulls were teased with potential trade packages surrounding impact players such as Kevin Durant, Rudy Gobert, Deandre Ayton, and Myles Turner. None of which came to fruition, but that could simply mean the front office is holding their cards close to their chest until they see how this team looks with an additional offseason to gel.
That added team chemistry could make all the difference for the Bulls after the team underwent a dramatic roster overhaul just one offseason ago. After all, Zach LaVine and Coby White are the only current members of the roster who were even still on the Bulls three years ago, maybe the answer for this team’s issues really is just more time together.
But what if it’s not?
Arturas Karnisovas and Marc Eversley have already proven they’re not afraid to dip their toes into the waters of the trade market, after swinging trades for both DeMar DeRozan and Lonzo Ball last summer. Each of those trades has worked out massively in Chicago’s favor thus far, which only leaves us pondering what else the duo might have in store with the 2022-23 season on the horizon.
If the Chicago Bulls’ 2022-23 season doesn’t go as well as planned, these 3 players could be facing the trade block sooner than expected.
3. Nikola Vucevic
As it currently stands, all signs currently point towards the Chicago Bulls working with Nikola Vucevic to extend his contract past the 2022-23 season. ESPN’s Jonathan Givony mentioned back in June that Vucevic is interested in staying in Chicago, with Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times offering a concurring report that the Bulls would discuss a potential discuss with Vucevic at training camp.
After all, the fact that Vucevic just bought a mansion in Lincoln Park for just shy of $5 million is certainly fair reason enough to believe the validity of these rumors.
However, we cannot completely rule out the possibility that if the Bulls aren’t good this season, Vucevic would in all likelihood be among the first to go on the chopping block. Chicago gave up a haul of assets to acquire him, so letting Vucevic walk for nothing after just two and a half seasons with the Bulls would be seen as a tremendous failure on the front office’s behalf.
Since he’s entering the final year of his contract, it makes sense to try recouping any assets possible if a return seems unlikely and if the Bulls are out of playoff contention. That’s a lot of ifs though, which is why I think Vucevic will not only finish the season in Chicago, but could very well be returning on a new deal next season as well.