Bold details from Nikola Vucevic, Bulls Contract Talks

The Chicago Bulls’ plan to return to prominence began before the 2021 NBA trade deadline. They surprised many people when they struck a deal to acquire Nikola Vucevic from the Orlando Magic. It was a successful deal for Chicago at the time, as they finally got an All-Star caliber player to pair with Zach LaVine.

Unfortunately, less than two years away from that trade, the Bulls are already regretting the buyer. Vucevic hasn’t turned out as well as the team hoped, especially when you consider the other moves made to improve the roster.

Vucevic sometimes seems out of place when he attacks, watching LaVine and Demar DeRozan take turns playing offensively. Vucevic didn’t impress much on the defensive end and wasn’t too impressive.

While some things could be done to accommodate him a bit more, it sounds like Chicago is ready to pull the plug on Vucevic as their starting center. According to Jake Fischer of Yahoo! Sportno substantial contract negotiations have been held.

“There are no ongoing contract renewal talks between the Bulls and Nikola Vucevic, sources told Yahoo Sports. Chicago never really had any major negotiations to restructure the starting center’s deal. Whether that points to more trading activity with the Bulls remains to be seen, of course.”

LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Nikola Vucevic & Chicago Bulls Updates

Bulls management believes that when the roster is healthy they are a playoff team, so it could be a few more weeks before any real trade talks take place. However, it is up for debate how healthy Chicago will get as there is still no timetable for Lonzo Ball to return to the field from his weak knee.

Regardless of how good they think the team can be, if there are no plans to keep Vucevic for the long haul, they should explore his trading market. Getting some value in exchange for him now is infinitely better than letting him run for free this summer and getting no compensation in return.

LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Nikola Vucevic & Chicago Bulls Updates

Ownership may want to avoid rebuilding, but that could be the best course of action. If a team like the Los Angeles Lakers offers two future first-round picks for Vucevic and DeRozan, the Bulls will have a long think about making a deal.