The Chicago Bulls once again had their hopes of making the playoffs dashed, as they were eliminated from the playoff race during the play-in tournament for the third straight season. The Miami Heat beat them by a score of 109-90, as the Heat’s Tyler Herro went off in the game, scoring 38.0 points on 13-19 shooting in 37.0 minutes.
Fans of the Bulls are rightfully upset with the Bulls, as they finished with the same record as last season (39-43) and it feels like there is no sense of direction. Vice President of Basketball Operations Artūras Karnišovas, didn’t ease fans’ dismay with the team, as he thought the Bulls took “a step forward” from his perspective, which couldn’t be further from the truth.
The Bulls have some players worthy of sticking around, and one of their key pieces, Nikola Vucevic, has a lot to think about as he enters the final year of his deal with the Bulls. Vucevics’ future with the team is uncertain, and he gave some insights into what his thought process is, during his postseason press conference.
Vucevic’s future with the Chicago Bulls is uncertain
Vucevic is one of the better players the Bulls had this season and could’ve and should’ve brought them a decent trade package back during the trade deadline, but the Bulls never received one worthy of doing a deal. In his postseason press conference, the 34-year-old center said there are some positives on the Bulls, and he feels there are pieces for the Bulls to build around.
Vucevic also added that he is in a “win now” mode for his career and he wants to go on a deep playoff run but it will depend on what the Bull’s timeline is.
“Nikola Vucevic says he’s at the stage of his career where he wants to “win now” and make deep playoff runs.”
These quotes by Vucevic will hopefully send a message to Karnišovas and the Reinsdorfs that it’s time to start investing in the team and bring back the glory of what the Bulls were in the ’90s.
Could Vucevic be on the move this offseason?
An interesting offseason lies ahead for Vucevic and the Bulls, as their position in the draft is uncertain, and who they’ll draft is an even bigger question. The Bull’s dream pick is Duke’s Cooper Flagg but with every team looking to draft him, a backup option needs to be in place.
The Bulls could be active during the draft and on the trade market, as Vucevic could be a hot commodity once again, given he’s entering the last year of his deal with the Bulls. The Bulls could look to leverage Vucevic’s relatively low $20 million salary and whatever spot they get in the draft to move up to better their chances of getting Flagg.
That will have to wait, as the play-in tournament continues, and NBA fans wait for the playoffs to begin. Hopefully, by next season, the Bulls will be in a better position to avoid the play-in tournament and get back to being a winning team.
