It's safe to say the Chicago Bulls are in an era of transition. Former stalwarts Alex Caruso, DeMar DeRozan, Zach LaVine, and Lonzo Ball have all been traded in the span of a year. Gone are the days of the middling, perpetually underperforming Bulls, and underway is a heightened sense of optimism fueled by youth.
Yet, there's one holdover from the early 2020s squad who somehow remains. That's Nikola Vucevic, who's now been in the Windy City for four years, going on five. The 34-year-old big man is the eldest Bull by five years. Vucevic will turn 35 years old on October 24—a day after opening night.
The Bulls struggled have been well-documented
Chicago traded for Vucevic in 2021, amid arguably his best professional season. The 6-foot-10 center was averaging 24.5 points and 11.8 rebounds per game for the Orlando Magic at the time of the trade. The Bulls sent then-21-year-old Wendell Carter Jr., Otto Porter Jr., and two first-round picks to acquire the All-Star big man.
Early returns were positive, as Vucevic finished the year averaging 21.5 points, 11.5 rebounds, and 3.9 assists for the Bulls. Devising a ploy to acquire a 30-year-old was bold at the time, especially for a team with a losing record. Nonetheless, Vice President of Basketball Operations Artūras Karnišovas made the brash move to elevate the Bulls in hopes of a playoff push.
Following the trade for Vucevic, Karnišovas acquired Ball, Caruso, and DeRozan all in one offseason. Chicago's trajectory drastically changed, and the Bulls held a first-place record midway through the 2021-22 season.
Then, everything came crashing down when Ball suffered a career-altering knee injury. The Bulls finished sixth in the East, bowing out quickly in the opening round of the Playoffs. Despite rostering three former All-Stars—Vucevic, DeRozan, and LaVine—Chicago won 40, 39, and 39 games over the next three seasons before finally pulling the plug on the experiment last offseason.
Nonetheless, as mentioned at the beginning of the article, Vucevic remains a Bull, and he seems content with sticking around. Amid the 2025 Eurobasket Tournament, Vucevic opened up to BasketNews about his relationship with Karnišovas ahead of a pivotal season.
Vucevic rained praise on Karnisovas's maligned tenure as VP
Vucevic lauded his close relationship with Chicago's lead decision-maker, stating, "He has always been pretty open with me. 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."
Furthermore, Vucevic shared his thoughts about Karnišovas' notoriously rocky tenure as Bulls' VP of Basketball Operations, saying, "When he first got there, I thought he made some very good moves…" in reference to acquiring himself, Ball, Caruso, and DeRozan in a matter of months.
However, after acknowledging the Bulls' disappointing stretch from 2021 to present, Vucevic said, "…but overall, I think he has done a good job." In no way would Vucevic bash Karnišovas and his decision-making—that's to be expected. But going out of his way to praise the maligned decision-makers' tenure is… something.
That something probably reverts to wanting to stick around in Chicago. Vucevic has declared that he wants to win, but that won't be happening anytime soon in the Windy City (and he knows it). Chicago has prioritized youth, and at 34 years old, Vucevic clearly isn't part of the long-term plan.
Nevertheless, Chicago's final holdover will more than likely remain a Bull for one more season. Chicago has tried to trade the big man, time and time again, to no avail. Thus, we'll see another year of Vucevic before he signs elsewhere in 2026.