The Golden State Warriors‘ interest in Chicago Bulls‘ stretch center Nikola Vučević has been widely reported in the weeks leading to this Feb. 6 trade deadline.
The interest is mutual, according to a report from The Athletic on Wednesday, Jan. 29, with one week left to make a deal happen.
“The Warriors have discussed Nikola Vučević, and league sources say the Chicago Bulls big man views Golden State as a desirable destination should Chicago decide to deal him,” The Athletic report said.
The Warriors, however, are unwilling to meet the Bulls’ asking price, per NBA insider Marc Stein.
“The Bulls continue to seek a first-round pick in exchange for former All-Star center Nikola Vučević, league sources say,” Stein wrote in his “The Stein Line newsletter on Substack. “The Warriors have been at the front of the line in terms of potential Vučević suitors for weeks but, mired in a 10-20 funk that had them stuck at a lowly No. 11 in the West entering Monday’s play, have to date been unwilling to surrender more than second-round draft capital.”
Furthermore, there have been “differing opinions” on his fit and their need for him, according to The Athletic report, especially in the wake of the Warriors rookie stretch center Quentin Post’s emergence over their last few games.
Acquiring a stretch center like Vučević is no longer their top priority, The Athletic report added.
The Cost of Potential Nikola Vučević Trade
Vučević, a former two-time All-Star, is a far better and more consistent player than Post right now, but the Warriors are balking at the cost of acquiring the Bulls floor-spacing center.
Giving up a first-round draft capital for a player who wouldn’t move the needle for them this season is something they do not want to do.
On top of the draft capital the Bulls are seeking, the Warriors will also have to give up multiple players to match Vučević’s $20 million salary this season, the second year of a three-year, $60 million deal.
One iteration that could work will include the expiring salaries of Kevon Looney ($ 8 million), Gary Payton II ($9.1 million and Lindy Waters III ($2.2 million) and they would be hard-capped at first apron after the trade. The Warriors will also have to sign two free-agent players to get up to the minimum roster of 14 standard contracts.
But if the Bulls lower their price as the trade deadline nears, the Warriors will likely take a flier on Vučević.
If he doesn’t pan out, he will have a big expiring salary ($21.5 million) next season which the Warriors can later flip or aggregate in a package for a ceiling-raising star like Giannis Antetokounmpo if one becomes available.
Warriors Revisit Jimmy Butler Trade Talks
The Warriors are back in the mix in the Jimmy Butler sweepstakes, according to The Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor, after ESPN’s Brian Windhorst reported on SportsCenter that the Heat have lowered their asking price.
ESPN’s Shams Charania reported on “NBA Today” on Tuesday, Jan. 28, that the Heat are in active conversations with the Warriors and Phoenix Suns among other teams.
The Suns is Butler’s preferred destination because their team owner, “Mat Ishbia is believed to be as willing to sign the 35-year-old to a lucrative new contract as anyone you’ll find,” veteran NBA insider Marc Stein reported on Substack on Jan. 5.
But the problem for the Suns is that Bradley Beal, their only trade chip who can match Butler’s salary, is unwilling to waive his no-trade clause.
Windhorst sees an opening for a surprise team to snag Butler at a cheap price in “a trade that affects the outcome of this season.”
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Warriors, $60 Million 2-Time All-Star Have Mutual Interest: Report appeared first on Heavy Sports.