Nikola Vucevic dominated the headlines well before Zach LaVine was sent to the Sacramento Kings. If you asked many of those who either watch or follow the Chicago Bulls closely, they would have likely had the big man No. 1 on their “most likely to get traded” list.
While LaVine had put together a similarly strong offensive season, Vucevic was producing the best shooting display of his career and doing so on a much more palatable contract of $20.0 million a year. As a reliable floor spacer who sneezes a double-double, finding a trade partner felt like something most front office could pull off.
Unfortunately, the Bulls aren’t most front offices.
Was Not Trading Nikola Vucevic Already a Mistake?
Fast forward to 2:01 p.m. CT on Feb. 6 and Nikola Vucevic was still on the roster. Despite rumored interest from the Golden State Warriors even AFTER the Jimmy Butler blockbuster, the Bulls couldn’t get a deal done. And that instantly felt like another demerit on Arturas Karnisovas’ report card.
Is it possible that waiting to trade Vucevic until the offseason works in the Bulls’ favor? Yes. We don’t know the deals that were on the table, and there were multiple reports that suggest the conversations had at this deadline should resume in the summer. At the same time, there is an intrinsic value to ripping off the Band-Aid and fully embracing a rebuild sooner rather than later. This is particularly true when we consider that Vucevic’s value could always trend in the wrong direction.
I’m not quite sure why It’s assumed the veteran center will be worth the same or more come this offseason. First of all, Vucevic will be only months away from turning 35 years old. Secondly, instead of adding him for potentially two postseason runs, teams will also be acquiring him for only one. These are two pretty obvious reasons why an organization that was interested at this deadline could lower their offer once the Bulls call again in a few months.
© Matt Marton-Imagn ImagesOf course, then there is the very real possibility that Vucevic does not finish the season playing anything close to his pre-deadline self. With the Bulls seemingly prioritizing developmental minutes and lottery positions, it’s plausible Vucevic’s role begins to diminish. Even if it doesn’t, what motivation have the Bulls given him to play at an elite level? They got rid of his best offensive running mate and don’t appear all that interested in pushing for the postseason. If Vucevic knows that trade conversations are bound to pick up again this offseason, it’s going to be pretty darn hard not to press cruise control.
The argument can be made that we have already seen this happen over the last couple of weeks. Vucevic is averaging only 12.2 points and 9.4 rebounds on 40.3 percent shooting from the field since LaVine’s departure. If we look at his play since his 40-point performance against Charlotte on Jan. 19, the numbers are almost equally as grim. He is shooting just 24.5 percent from long range over those 13 games and has recorded three games with 9 points or fewer. Not great!
Whether it be a result of Vucevic coming back down to earth or the trade fuss catching up to him, it doesn’t really matter. The NBA is a “what have you done for me lately” kind of league, and Vucevic is potentially on track to finish this season looking like a shell of his early-season self. If the Bulls think rival front offices will not use that against them because of some conversations they had in February, they are sadly mistaken.
Heck, I wouldn’t even be surprised to learn that some front offices saw this coming, which is why they decided to hold off. They could have been fooling Karnisovas and Company into thinking they would be able to give them a better offer in the summer, knowing darn well that the path the Bulls are on could turn Vucevic’s value further in their favor.
Is it possible I’m doom-casting and overthinking the entire situation? It’s not out of the question. But, as I continue to say, this front office has provided us no reason to give them the benefit of the doubt. If this decision comes back to haunt them, I don’t think anyone will be surprised.
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