For nearly an entire calendar year, one name has been attached to the vast majority of trade storylines associated with the Chicago Bulls: Zach LaVine. However, perhaps for obvious reasons, another name should earn as much trade discussion in NBA media: starting center Nikola Vucevic.
After two consecutive offseasons of running back their same roster core of DeMar DeRozan, LaVine, Vucevic, and effectively Alex Caruso, the Bulls front office finally pushed the button on a modest teardown of the team's core during the 2024 offseason. Caruso out, Josh Giddey in, while DeRozan netted a small return to the Bulls via a sign-and-trade deal that shipped him to the Sacramento Kings.
Chicago's summer changes bring young players who are positioned to start the next generation of Bulls basketball surrounded by the worst-kept NBA secret — the team's desire to trade Zach LaVine — and an aging Vucevic.
There's minimal logic in retaining Vucevic while pivoting the Bulls roster to younger players. Unfortunately, there doesn't appear to be a thriving market for Vucevic's services. Despite the nominal absence of league demand for Vucevic, it's worth exploring the realm of possibilities of what it would take for the Bulls to pull off a Nikola Vucevic trade.
Rationalizing Nikola Vucevic's Trade Value
The 2023-24 campaign was Vucevic's worst season in terms of Box Plus-Minus (0.1) since 2013-14 when he was with the Orlando Magic. Vucevic's stark shooting efficiency regression likely is the culprit behind this past season's descending performance metrics.
Vucevic posted a serviceable 102 Adjusted True Shooting percentage (100 is league average) in 2022-23 followed by a 93 Adjusted True Shooting percentage in 2023-24. Vooch's NBA reputation has little to do with his defense so any opportunity for his trade value to increase must come from a return to form in his shooting efficiency.
Diving deeper into Vucevic's 2023-24 shooting efficiency at all three levels reveals an abysmal 29.4% three-point field goal percentage, 82% on free throws, and 55% on two-point field goals. Maybe you think the obvious problem is Vooch's three-point shooting. Think again; Vucevic's shot profile INSIDE the three-point arc is equally problematic.
Per NBA.com, of 31 centers who took at least four field goal attempts (FGA) inside the restricted area during the 2023-24 season, Vucevic ranked 26th in restricted area field goal percentage (63%).
Additionally, Vooch exercised a voracious shooting appetite for taking lower shot-quality mid-range and non-restricted area field goal attempts (7.5 combined FGA/game in 2023-24). Add to all of this Vucevic only averaged 1.7 free-throw attempts per game, and there's a strong case that the veteran is an all-around negative shooter until further notice.
In an ideal world, the 2024-25 edition of Vucevic comes to terms with his three-point shooting ability and abandons the shot as a featured element of his offense. For extra credit, it'd be wonderful if he also bails on taking any mid-range or lumbering post-up jump shots. What the Bulls really need from Nikola Vucevic and what Vooch needs to improve his trade value is to evolve into a traditional center who scores consistently at the rim. Anything else beyond that is a stretch.
