Vucevic's tenure with the Bulls is set to end after this season, as the big man is unlikely to be dealt before the Feb. 5 trade deadline.
Nikola Vucevic's run with the Chicago Bulls is about to come to an end, but the star big man won't reportedly get dealt ahead of the Feb. 5 trade deadline.
Nikola Vucevic
Nikola Vucevic
Nikola Vucevic
MIN: 30.71
PTS: 17 (53.57%)
REB: 9.17
AS: 3.79
ST: 0.67
BL: 0.64
TO: 1.4
GM: 42
According to league insider Jake Fischer, it is expected that Vucevic will end the season as a Bull and hit the offseason as an unrestricted free agent.
"It makes sense for the Bulls to be looking at possible centers of the future, knowing that Nikola Vucevic is in the final year of his contract. Multiple sources this week stressed that it's now unlikely that Vucevic gets dealt before the deadline," Fischer wrote in his latest report.
"It's believed that Vucevic, should he enter free agency this summer after playing out his three-year deal with the Bulls, will generate some strong interest from teams looking at a longtime starter believed to be open to a more complementary role in the right situation … similar to Al Horford during last summer's free agency."
Vucevic currently holds an expiring $21.4 million contract.
Given that the Bulls have already identified Josh Giddey as their future, Vucevic is no longer a part of the franchise's long-term plans.
Yet despite being 35 already, Vucevic remains productive in his numbers. He is still expected to draw plenty of interest in the offseason market as he is averaging 17.0 points, 9.1 rebounds and 3.8 assists in 42 games.
A stretch big who has a solid career 35 percent efficiency from beyond the arc, Vucevic is a name to monitor among contending teams.
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