Bulls “Not Looking” to Buy Out Key Contributor

Nikola Vucevic‘s long-term future with the Chicago Bulls has risen to the forefront of conversations regarding the franchise.

The veteran big man is entering the final year of his current three-year $60 million deal. He will become an unrestricted free agent next summer. As such, the Bulls could look to move Vucevic ahead of the trade deadline, in the hope of receiving some viable assets in return.

Despite rumors to the contrary, an anonymous NBA executive recently told Sean Deveney of Athlon Sports that Chicago won’t buy out Vucevic’s contract if a trade fails to materialize.

“They’re not looking to buy him out,” the executive said. “If there is one thing that has been consistent about Jerry Reinsdorf over 40 years–and he is the same with the White Sox (Reinsdorf also owns MLB’s South Side team in Chicago)–it is that he does not pay players or coaches to not play or coach for him.”

As such, Vucevic’s future will likely remain a talking point for the foreseeable future. After all, the Bulls will undoubtedly explore their options with the floor-spacing center, and at worst, will continue to move forward with him anchoring the middle of the floor.

Bulls Reportedly Would Consider Vucevic Buyout

Previously, NBA Insider Jake Fischer has reported that Chicago would indeed consider buying out Vucevic’s deal, should a trade fail to materialize.

“We’ve been talking about how there hasn’t been much of a market for Nikola Vučević all along, dating back to last trade deadline in February,” Fischer said via a Bleacher Report live stream. “I think at this juncture, we’re probably more likely to see a Nikola Vučević buyout midseason than we are to see a trade, depending on how the market unfolds, depending on how injuries develop. There really hasn’t been much of a Nikola Vučević trade market in a while.”

Regardless of what happens with Vucevic’s current contract, there should be no doubt that multiple teams would show interest in his services. Last season, Vucevic was playing at a borderline All-Star level on the offensive end. In 73 games, he averaged 18.5 points, 10.1 rebounds and 3.5 assists, shooting 53% from the field and 40.2% from deep.

Vucevic Drawing Interest From Europe

Kevin Martorano of Sportando recently reported that at least two European teams are pursuing Vucevic. For that to happen, Chicago would need to buy out the remainder of his contract, and he would need to clear waivers.

“According to SportKlub, the situation is also being closely monitored by several European clubs, especially in the EuroLeague,” Martorano reported. “Vucevic is a well-known fan of Crvena Zvezda Belgrade, which could fuel dreams among the Serbian club’s supporters of landing a major signing…Additionally, Panathinaikos — currently searching for a center — could also be interested in the player, as well as other financially powerful European teams.”

For the Bulls, Vucevic’s immediate future will likely be a secondary concern behind Josh Giddey. The playmaking guard is a restricted free agent this summer. Nevertheless, at some point soon, the Bulls must decide how they want to move forward with the veteran center. The most logical path would be to trade him or to proceed through the upcoming season with Vucevic as the starting center.