The Chicago Bulls were a force to be reckoned with at the start of the 2021-22 season when they had a 23-9 record in the first three months of the campaign. However, since then, the team has been on a downward trajectory to the point that they’re considering blowing up their roster for a full-scale rebuild.
Nikola Vucevic saw it all unfold, and according to the Chicago Bulls center, Lonzo Ball’s injuries were the main reason for the team’s downfall.
“Since Lonzo Ball’s injury, we haven’t been able to achieve the results we could have. It disrupted us a lot. When he played, we were at the top of the East for a while, which maybe wasn’t a realistic result, even though we were playing well, but with him, we would have fought for anything between third and sixth place in the end,” Vucevic said in an interview with Meridian Sport.
“The rest of us focus more on scoring: LaVine, DeRozan, and me. He brought us all together, sped up the game, and meant a lot on defense, guarding the best players with Caruso,” he added.
After playing 35 regular season games, Lonzo Ball didn’t appear for the Chicago Bulls due to a major knee injury that kept him out of the court for two straight seasons. Fast forward to today, and DeMar DeRozan and Alex Caruso are no longer with the team.
Nikola Vucevic contemplating retirement after Chicago Bulls stint
Nikola Vucevic has two years left on his current contract with the Chicago Bulls, where he’ll earn at least $20 million annually before becoming an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2026.
The Montenegrin will be 36 by then, and according to him, he plans to play at least two more years after playing for Chicago.
“I am aware that I have been in the NBA for 13 years, that the end is not so far away. I don’t believe I’ll have another 13, but I have two more years with Chicago, I’d like to play two more after that,” Vucevic said.
