The Chicago Bulls didn’t wait until deadline day to start making moves at this trade deadline, as they sent Zach LaVine off to the Sacramento Kings on Sunday night in a deal that also sent De’Aaron Fox to the San Antonio Spurs.
Starting center Nikola Vucevic is another name that has been caught up in trade rumors throughout the season, and that noise has only intensified as the deadline has inched closer. Now, however, it looks like Vucevic will be staying in Chicago for at least the rest of the season, according to K.C. Johnson of Chicago Sports Network.
“As for latest Bulls trade chatter, everything is fluid but the optimism for more moves that surfaced Monday dried up some on Tuesday,” Johnson wrote on X, formerly Twitter. “Nikola Vucevic is now prepared to be here past deadline as Warriors have shifted attention to bigger targets, including Kevin Durant.”
The pursuit of Durant by the Warriors, Mavericks and other teams has largely stolen the headlines in the last 24 hours or so since the noise from the Luka Doncic and Fox deals died down. Now, many of the teams that were in the market for smaller deals are focused on the Suns and what they are doing with their aging superstar.
What is the Bulls’ plan moving forward?
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After years of trying to compete with the core of Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan and Nikola Vucevic but never being able to truly challenge for the throne in the Eastern Conference, the Bulls finally seemed to be waving the white flag and starting their rebuild with the decision to trade LaVine to the Kings.
Now, with the news that Nikola Vucevic might be staying in Chicago, it’s unclear exactly what the plan is for the Bulls. Chicago didn’t receive a ton of draft capital or any young pieces in exchange for LaVine — it only got back their own first-rounder from the Spurs from the trade that sent DeRozan to Chicago — but dealing Vucevic and Lonzo Ball could help the Bulls stock up on assets.
If the Bulls don’t end up dealing one or both of them, it will be clear that there isn’t really a plan to get back to the top in Chicago. This is a mediocre roster at the moment, and refusing to turn the two of them into future assets would be settling for mediocrity.
To make matters worse, Ball is an expiring contract, meaning he could walk away from the team for nothing if the offseason hits and Ball enters free agency. The Bulls can still move him for picks, and Ball could be a useful piece on a contender. Now is the time for this front office to pull the trigger.
