Nikola Vucevic logged a 16-point, 14-rebound double-double in the Chicago Bulls’ 117-108 upset win over the Boston Celtics on Thursday, and the timing of both events could not be better as the trade deadline draws closer.
It was the big man’s 16th double-double of the season, tying him for the sixth-most in the NBA this season.
However, that may not be the biggest factor in a rival’s potential decision to trade for him.
Vucevic has never shied away from trade speculation or speaking his mind. He even had fun with a fan trying to troll him on X. In response to the fan suggesting he should be traded to the Denver Nuggets, Vucevic name-dropped Zach LaVine.
“You’re thinking about Zach, this is not him,” Vucevic posted on X on December 18.
The Athletic’s Sam Amick and Tony Jones reported the Nuggets have “significant” interest in LaVine on December 17.
NBA insider Jake Fischer set Vucevic’s market at “a couple second-round picks.”
“I just think that there are much more options on the market at much lower numbers,” Fischer said during a live stream for Bleacher Report on December 18. “I don’t know if Vucevic is gonna be at the top of someone’s wish list. But if they go down the board and they can’t get their guys, I think it gets more likely to make a trade for Nik Vucevic.”
Vucevic is averaging 20.9 points, 9.7 rebounds, and 3.3 assists this season. The points are his most since the 2020-21 season. That is when the Bulls acquired him from the Orlando Magic in a blockbuster trade before the deadline.
His rebounds are down to their lowest point since the 2017-18 season, one year before he made his first All-Star game.
Perhaps most importantly, though, Vucevic is shooting the three-ball well again.
His 48% mark from downtown is a career-high. He is also attempting the second most triples of his career at 4.6 per game, his most since the 2019-20 season. However, that has not helped the Bulls or his trade market and, even more, it might be hurting.
Potential Suitors Leery of Trade for Nikola Vucevic
The last time Vucevic shot the ball at a higher rate than normal was in 2020-21 at 40%, when he shot 38.8% after the trade to the Bulls.
Teams are leery of acquiring Vucevic from the Bulls despite Chicago’s continued trade plans.
“Sources across the league also don’t expect much interest in trading for him,” ESPN’s Tim Bontemps wrote in a batch of intel published on December 13. “Vucevic is actually having one of the best seasons of his career.
“That has also led to some reasonable skepticism that those high-water marks will hold up as the season progresses.”
And there are other warts to Vucevic and his game that he cannot overcome.
“Vucevic struggles defensively and is owed another $20 million next year,” Bontemps wrote. “Perhaps most importantly, there just isn’t much of a market for centers, one of the deepest positions in the league.”
Flooded Market, Bulls’ High Asking Price Barriers to Nikola Vucevic Trade
Fischer named Jonas Valanciunas of the Washington Wizards and Robert Williams of the Portland Trail Blazers among the cheaper alternatives to Vucevic.
Exacerbating the issue, the Bulls are trying to make up for their missteps.
“After failing to extract any draft compensation from Oklahoma City in its Alex Caruso-for-Josh Giddey swap in June, Chicago is said to be seeking a first-round pick to part with center Nikola Vučević,” Marc Stein and Jake Fischer wrote for The Stein Line on December 14. “Do the Bulls have the resolve to hold out for a first-rounder?”
Vucevic is in Year 2 of a three-year, $60 million contract. If the Bulls do not find an offer they like, they could bank on more interest during the 2025 offseason.
His contract will expire after the following season, which can be appealing in trades.
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