NBA rumors: Bulls open to 2nd-round pick haul in Nikola Vucevic trade
Yesterday at 02:02 PM
The Chicago Bulls haven’t had a ton of success so far this year but they have been entertaining to watch, embracing a youth movement and recently upsetting the Boston Celtics on the road. Chicago leaned into its youth by letting DeMar DeRozan walk in free agency this past offseason and trading Alex Caruso for Josh Giddey, among other moves, but there still remain a few veterans on the roster, including Zach Lavine.
Another one of those veterans is big man Nikola Vucevic, who has been with the franchise since the 2021 season. There has been rampant trade speculation, and although it was recently reported by NBA insider Marc Stein that Chicago would only be open to a first round pick in return for the center, it appears they may have walked back that demand after seeing how other teams have responded.
“There was one report that said the Bulls were looking for a first-round pick in the 2025 draft in the package for Vucevic, but a source recently said that's not necessarily the case,” reported Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times. “Very few teams – even playoff caliber – are hanging first-round picks out there for '25, so multiple second rounders are more likely going to be included.”
The 2025 NBA Draft is widely expected to be one of the deepest draft classes in recent league history, making it somewhat understandable that teams would be willing to part with their first round picks for next year.
Should the Bulls trade Nikola Vucevic?
While he may not be quite the player that he was during his All-Star years with the Orlando Magic, Nikola Vucevic remains a talented big man who provides some much-needed spacing to a Bulls offense that isn’t exactly inundated with perimeter shooting.
While the Bulls have certainly embraced something of a rebuild by letting DeRozan walk and trading Caruso, there is something to be said about keeping veteran talent around to help guide the younger players, and Vucevic certainly fits that bill.
The Bulls currently sit at 13-17, good for ninth place in the not-so-vaunted Eastern Conference playoff picture, but they have been nothing if not entertaining this year, launching a ton of threes and playing a frenetic, fast-paced style of basketball.
In any case, the Bulls will next take the floor on Thursday evening on the road vs the Atlanta Hawks. That game is slated to tip off at 7:30 PM ET.
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