NBA rumors: Bulls still 'expected' to trade Nikola Vucevic, 'possibly' Lonzo Ball

With the NBA trade deadline looming, The Chicago Bulls are expected to make some big moves particularly centered around Lonzo Ball on Nikola Vucevic. The Bulls, with a 16-19 record, are currently the tenth seed in the Eastern Conference and would claim a play-in spot if the season ended today. However, they remain far from true playoff contention, which might push the team to consider changes aimed at building for the future.

Per NBA Insider Marc Stein, the Bulls must finish with the NBA's sixth-worst record to keep their first-round pick in June. If it falls outside the top 10, the pick will go to San Antonio as part of the 2021 DeMar DeRozan trade. So, to achieve this, they'll look to be heavy sellers in the trade market per Stein's reporting.

“The question, then, is obvious: When will the Bulls start trading away productive veterans like Brooklyn has — such as former All-Star center Nikola Vučević — who have made them too competitive this season,” Stein said. “The complications Chicago faces in trying to ship out another former All-Star in Zach LaVine have been well-chronicled, but the Bulls are expected to find deals between now and the Feb. 6 deadline involving Vučević and possibly Lonzo Ball.”

Both Vucevic and Ball are talented players who could easily help contending teams sure up their rosters before the playoff push that occurs during the second half of the season begins. Vucevic has been getting significant trade interest, particularly from the Phoenix Suns and Golden State Warriors.  But, per ClutchPoints Senior NBA Reporter Brett Siegel in his “Siegel's Scoop” feature, acquiring Vucevic could be a tough task for a team such as the Suns.

“The Suns are unable to aggregate another player's salary with Nurkic's in order to add a player like Vucevic in a trade due to second-apron restraints. This is exactly why financial regulations play a major role in the NBA trade deadline,” Siegel said.

The Bulls will certainly have to navigate an NBA landscape restricted by new financial rules regarding player contracts if they do want to move their standout players in the trade market. But, it appears they will be active sellers as the trade deadline inches closer.