Nikola Vucevic is a high-IQ player on the court and an even higher-IQ person off of it.
So not only can he read the writing on the wall, but the Bulls big man can translate it into multiple languages.
It all screams that he’s next.
With the NBA trade deadline bearing down on the Association at 2 pm CT on Thursday, the flurry of big-name players already getting new zip codes has been historic. Included in that haul of talent was the Bulls sending Zach LaVine to Sacramento late Sunday night as part of a three-team deal that brought back guards Kevin Huerter and Tre Jones, as well as center Zach Collins.
A deal that was made official Monday afternoon, as the team announced a Sun-Times report that Torrey Craig and Chris Duarte were waived.
More importantly, the deal gave the Bulls their 2025 top 10 protected first-round draft pick back, taking the Spurs out of the mix for both ’25 and top-eight protected in ’26 if it carried over to that point.
While Bulls executive vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas was getting criticized publicly throughout the city in the aftermath of the LaVine trade, what he did was pick a direction and allow himself the freedom to build that out with his own draft picks.
Priceless in a rebuild.
“Zach has been a cornerstone for this organization and the city,” Karnisovas said in a statement. “He truly embraced what it means to be a Bull. His work ethic and passion for the game have been inspiring. During his time here, he not only grew as a player but also started a family, and we watched him develop into the person he is today. We also sincerely thank Chris and Torrey for their professionalism and contributions. Our organization is extremely appreciative of everything each of these guys have given to the team.”
Likely not the last goodbye statement coming from the executive this week, either.
Speculation that Vucevic was very much aware of and preparing for, knowing that if LaVine was sent out seven months after Alex Caruso and DeMar DeRozan were dealt in sign-and-trades in the summer, his watch with the Bulls has come to an end.
The unknown remains where Vucevic ends up?
Golden State could use a stretch five and the Sun-Times has confirmed that the Warriors remain a possibility after they try and make a big splash first whether it’s Kevin Durant or Jimmy Butler. The Lakers are suddenly a possibility, but would rather try hitting on a defensive center first in the wake of landing Luka Doncic and losing Anthony Davis.
Phoenix is floating out there, but again that is contingent on if they miss out on Butler. That leaves the Bulls waiting for more dominos to fall and Vucevic the ultimate consolation prize.
Vucevic was making $20 million this season and bumps up to $21.5 million in the final year of his deal next season. Workable for the Warriors and Lakers more than the Suns.
And then there’s the other pieces that could be shopped or even packaged with Vucevic if a bigger deal came along or the Bulls somehow became a third or fourth team in a Butler multi-team deal. Both Lonzo Ball ($21.3 million expiring contract) and Coby White ($12.8 million in the final year of his contract next season) could be attractive pieces, especially in the right situation.
Ball would instantly make a team’s second unit difficult for the opposition to deal with, and White would give a scoring punch to any backcourt.
That’s why the feeling around the league is that the Bulls aren’t done dealing. For Karnisovas’ sake they better not be.