While the Bulls have been eager about trading away LaVine, his trade value has hit a new low this 2024-2025 season, despite averaging decent numbers. Nonetheless, with a large contract, the Bulls will be hard-pressed to find a trading partner for the former two-time NBA Slam Dunk Contest Champion.
On the other hand, with LaVine being more difficult to trade, trading away Vucevic seems to be a better choice. As a result, the two-time NBA All-Star must be traded away by the Bulls soon while he’s performing better compared to last year.
Disappointing 2023-2024 season for Nikola Vucevic
The Bulls pieced together another disappointing year, prompting the front office to finally push the rebuild button. A part of that reason is a terrible season by the Bulls center. Vucevic averaged a respectable 18.0 points and 10.5 rebounds per game. However, he also shot 48.4% from the field overall and a measly 29.4% from downtown.
Thanks to Vooch’s poor performance from downtown, it isn’t surprising that the Bulls have teased the idea of trading him as early as last season’s trade deadline. To make matters worse, they also failed to find a trade partner during the offseason for the former All-Star big man.
Fortunately, Vucevic seems to have boosted his stock a little bit in the ongoing 2024-2025 season. It’s worth noting that he’s shooting a career-best 58.7% from the field overall and 47.4% from Rainbow Country. His recent performances this year may convince contenders to take a chance on the 34-year-old center.
The Bulls’ aging center
It’s safe to say after shipping away DeRozan to Toronto and Caruso to Oklahoma, the Bulls still need to unload the remaining pieces of their All-Star core. As of this writing, it’s more possible for the Bulls to send Vucevic elsewhere in the midst of the 2024-2025 season. The Bulls have some interesting young pieces, and while Vucevic has been steady as the starting center by putting up 21.0 points, 9.8 rebounds, and 3.2 assists per outing, he no longer fits in Chicago’s timeline at 34 years old.
The Montenegro national team mainstay should be an enticing big man for any legitimate contender. In return, the Bulls have the leverage to command some draft picks in return. The move should allow the Windy City to get even younger. As of this writing, Vucevic has also yet to show any signs of decline. As a result, the Bulls should trade him soon before he does.
There’s no question that the Bulls are now creeping into a rebuild, after failing to mount any deep playoff run in the past seasons. Spearheaded by Josh Giddey, Coby White, and Patrick Williams, the franchise is still in search of recapturing their glory days that happened back in the 90s during the Michael Jordan era.
Better trade value in the market compared to Zach LaVine
The Bulls signed Nikola Vuvevic to a three-year contract extension worth $60 million, back in 2023. For the 2024-2025 season, the 6-foot-10 stretch big man is expected to take in $20 million. For an All-Star caliber player, that’s a kind of salary that can lure in any contender that’s serious about adding some size and depth into their frontcourt.
Between LaVine and Vucevic, the easier to trade would be the latter. LaVine is quite inefficient as a scorer and would be more difficult to integrate into a team. On the other hand, the two-time NBA All-Star is a stretch big man who can space the floor, while being capable of inflicting some damage in the interior with his size.
Apart from having a team-friendly contract to take in, Vucevic’s deal is also set to expire after the 2025-2026 season. Although Vucevic’s age might be a concern, he’s still a big body who can slow down the best opposing centers in the league. In fact, there are a handful of contenders including the Los Angeles Lakers, Golden State Warriors, and others who would easily welcome an All-Star caliber big man like Vooch.
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