The trade that sent Nikola Vucevic to the Chicago Bulls in 2021 represented a philosophical shift in direction of the franchise. The all-star big man demonstrated a win-now mentality from a new front office regime.
At the time, experts believed that the deal was fair. Kevin Pelton of ESPN gave the Chicago Bulls a B for the trade and the Orlando Magic a B+. The trade did not age well, that is for sure. Vucevic has been a steady and solid contributor for the franchise, but also far from a dominant inside presence to complement LaVine and DeRozan which they had hoped.
In the summer of 2023, Arturas Karnisovas had a dilemma as Vucevic headed towards free agency. The Bulls had the ability to re-ign Vooch as they held his Bird rights, and if they chose not to do so, they would be hard-pressed to find a replacement with the limited cap space and draft capital they had. Karnisosvas doubled down on his initial investment to his version of the big 3 (LaVine already had signed his extension the year prior) and hoped that with better health and a few breaks they would be able to move up the Eastern Conference standings. Vucevic would go on to receive a 3 year $60 million deal heading into the 2023-24 season.
Now just a year later, many challenges exist in the attempt to move Nikola Vucevic. He is 33 years old and his game appears to be in decline. He cannot protect the rim and he is not a lob threat, both which are more valuable in today’s NBA. He potentially could be a solid veteran back up, but the $20 million per year price tag is steep for that type of role in the new collective bargaining agreement. With all that taken into consideration, there are a few logical fits for Vucevic, but as free agency winds down most teams do not have the financial means to take on the salary. Currently, only the Utah Jazz would have the cap space to absorb a Vucevic-type contract.
Here are 3 possible solutions to the Vucevic dilemma. Each solution represents where the Bulls at as a franchise and the most practical transaction possibilities moving forward.
The Bulls trade Nikola Vucevic to the Raptors
Toronto Raptors receive
Nikola Vucevic ($40 million / 2 years)
Chicago Bulls receive
Kelly Olynyk ($26.2 million/ 2 years)
Chris Boucher ($10.8 million/ 1 year)
2nd Round Pick
Why the Raptors would make this trade
They are not in the Flop for Flagg sweepstakes. They are a young team that wants to crack into the top six. They are poised with Quickley, Barrett, Barnes, Poeltl to push for the play-in with the hopes for more. Vucevic gives them an upgrade to backup Poeltl and could still be used as a spot starter when necessary.
Why the Bulls would make this trade
The Bulls direction is still not completely clear, but this would be a move to clearly state that they will be joining the tank race. One of the bigger subplots heading into the 2024-25 season for the Bulls is the fact the San Antonio Spurs have a top-10 protected claim on the team's 1st round selection. Overall, the Bulls would get two veteran big men to back up Jalen Smith. They would also save $7 million in cap space in 2025-26 and receive some draft capital.
Chicago Bulls trade Nikola Vucevic to the LA Clippers
Chicago Bulls receive
P.J. Tucker ($11 million/ 1 year)
Amir Coffey ($3.9 million/1 year)
Russell Westbrook ($4 million/ 1 year)
Los Angeles Clippers receive
Nikola Vucevic ($20 Million/ 2 year)
The Raptors and Bulls make sense on many different levels. However, trying to find a second trade partner for Vucevic is extremely difficult. There are practically no teams that have the cap space or type of players with expiring contracts that would make sense for both sides. The Los Angeles Clippers are a team that has not declared the direction they are heading. Losing Paul George feels like they might want to enter the tank sweepstakes, but the signing of James Harden, Derrick Jones and Nic Batum suggests they will try to compete with a hopefully healthy Kawhi Leonard.
Why the Clippers would do this trade
Harden and Lenoard both have two years left on their deals, which would coincide with Vucevic's contract. He also provides extra depth on their frontline and an insurance policy if they are unable to re-sign Ivan Zubac at the end of the year.
Why the Bulls would do this trade
P.J. Tucker is a salary cap filler in this trade and would be placed on waivers. Amir Coffey will be a roster filler for the Bulls this year before he hits free agency. Overall, the Bulls will save $20 million on the cap for the 2025-26 season.
Ideally, Russell Westbrook would be traded for a flyer on a younger player or a couple 2nd round picks. There seems to be interest from teams like the Nuggets for Westbrook, but they do not have a lot of trade pieces that would make sense to even match the modest $4 million salary. The Utah Jazz possibly could be a facilitator in a potential Westbrook three team swap.
The Chicago Bulls could just keep Nikola Vucevic...for now
Chicago could be patient and see if a market develops. Maybe a contender has an injury and makes a panic trade where the Bulls are able to acquire more assets,. This would be a gamble. If a trade did not materialize, the Bulls would be in a position to have to waive Vucevic at the end of the season and just eat the money for the 2025-26 season.
Much like the LaVine situation, the Bulls may have to eat an unfavorable deal to get Vucevic's contract off their books, but the question is whether there are even bad deals for them to take.