CHICAGO (BVM) – The Chicago Bulls have hovered just below .500 throughout the first half of the 2024-25 NBA season and remain in contention for a play-in spot in the Eastern Conference.
However, Chicago remains far off from truly contending and may look to finally begin a full rebuild in the coming months with just one playoff appearance in the past seven years. The Bulls also find themselves in a unique situation down the stretch of the season as they need to finish in the bottom 10 of the league to keep their first-round draft pick. Otherwise, the selection will go to the San Antonio Spurs as part of the DeMar DeRozan sign-and-trade in 2021.
That means the Bulls could look to deal some of their veteran players as the Feb. 6 trade deadline approaches, including big man Nikola Vucevic. In a recent episode of his podcast, “The Stein Line,” NBA insider Marc Stein stated that “the Bulls are expected to find deals between now and the Feb. 6 deadline involving Vucevic and possibly Lonzo Ball.” This follows previous reports that the Bulls are potentially seeking draft capital in exchange for Vucevic, something they weren’t able to acquire during the offseason when they traded Alex Caruso.
While Vucevic is 34 years old, he remains incredibly productive in his 14th NBA season, averaging 20.2 points – his highest scoring numbers since 2020-21 – 10.1 rebounds and 3.3 assists while shooting 55.3% from the field and 42.4% from 3-point range.
The impressive start to the season could make the two-time All-Star an interesting target for multiple contenders willing to deal draft picks or young players. Here are five landing spots for Vucevic if he is dealt.
Oklahoma City Thunder
The Thunder aren’t in dire need of a big man, but at a conference-leading 30-6, Oklahoma City could go all in for a title. The Thunder’s roster might be good enough to do so as is, but adding a veteran scorer like Vucevic to their youthful squad could take them over the top and is doable with their salary-cap situation and with the draft assets they possess. Oklahoma City signed center Isaiah Hartenstein over the offseason who has had a strong first half of the year. The Thunder should also get young star Chet Holmgren back from injury in the near future. Still, Vucevic would provide insurance if Holmgren’s injury lingers and would help further space the floor offensively for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and others. A move to Oklahoma City would likely mean a lesser role for the two-time All-Star, but it could be his best chance to win a title.
Phoenix Suns
The Suns are unlikely to enter a full rebuild with Devin Booker and Kevin Durant on the roster, but they appear ready to shake things up with trade rumblings surrounding Bradley Beal and Jusuf Nurkic. The Suns failed to meet expectations last season as they were swept in the first round of the playoffs. Things looked like they might change following an 8-1 start under new head coach Mike Budenholzer this season, but Phoenix has gone just 9-18 since. While Durant and Booker remain consistent, players like Beal and Nurkic have struggled to mesh in Budenholzer’s offense. Vucevic feels like a better fit at center as a pick-and-pop scorer similar to what Budenholzer had in Milwaukee with Brook Lopez. Phoenix’s cap situation makes a two-team trade difficult, but finding a way to land Vucevic could change the Suns’ fortunes.
Orlando Magic
Following one season with the Philadelphia 76ers, Vucevic spent nearly nine years of his NBA career with the Magic before eventually being dealt to the Bulls. Vucevic was part of several bad Magic teams but emerged as an All-Star center in Orlando, and it would be a feel-good story if he returned to the franchise while it emerges as a contender in the East. Goga Bitadze has developed into a quality big man in Orlando, but the Magic lack frontcourt depth overall, particularly with Moritz Wagner recently suffering a season-ending injury. While the Magic have been without their top player, Paolo Banchero, for most of the season, their offense could still use a boost as it ranks dead last in the NBA, scoring just under 105 points per game. Vucevic could be a nice addition, and Orlando has a decent cap situation and draft assets to play with.
Los Angeles Lakers
The Lakers are often in play to acquire big names at the trade deadline. That is no different this year, and general manager Rob Pelinka has already added a couple of players through a trade with the Brooklyn Nets this season: Dorian Finney-Smith and Shake Milton. However, a bigger move could be on the horizon for a team that currently leads the Pacific Division and will look to make another run with LeBron James and Anthony Davis healthy and playing well. Vucevic could provide size, floor spacing and additional offense to a middle-of-the-pack scoring team. He might also be able to take some of the load off of Davis to help preserve his health down the stretch. The Lakers’ salary-cap situation isn’t friendly, but dealing a piece like Rui Hachimura in addition to some draft picks may be enough to land an impact player like Vucevic.
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