Bulls Urged to Make Trade Swing for Rising Big Man, Former No. 1 Pick

Getty Deandre Ayton and Kyle Kuzma chat during a game between the Phoenix Suns and the Washington Wizards.

It has been a roller-coaster run for Nikola Vucevic since the two-time NBA All-Star was dealt to the Chicago Bulls back in March of 2021. Although his addition failed to yield a playoff return initially, the team finally managed to break a five-year postseason drought last season.

However, with Billy Donovan’s offense running first through DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine, Vucevic hasn’t been able to consistently show off the skills that made him the go-to guy in Orlando. And the Bulls had to part with a lot to get him to the Windy City.

Nevertheless, Vucevic has been playing his best basketball in recent memory over the last 25 or so games. Since December 1, the 32-year-old has averaged 18.9 points, 11.0 rebounds and 3.6 assists per contest while making 55.3% of his shots overall and an even 40% from deep.

Despite the uptick in production, though, the Bulls could look to move him ahead of the trade deadline (and before he hits free agency this summer). If they do end up kicking the tires on a Vooch move, Bleacher Report‘s Zach Buckley thinks that a certain Phoenix Suns youngster could make for an ideal replacement.

B/R Floats Phoenix Suns Big Man Deandre Ayton as a Bulls Trade Target

Buckley just dropped an updated list of potential targets for the Bulls heading into the February 9 deadline for deal-making. And the name at the top belonged to none other than Suns center and former No. 1 overall pick Deandre Ayton.

“If Chicago seeks a center swap, it should fire off a phone call to Phoenix,” Buckley wrote.

“Ayton may not outproduce Vucevic by a ton, but Ayton would offer a cleaner fit with this core. Ayton is a superior athlete and a more reliable defender. As an added bonus, he’s also 24 years old and signed through 2025-26, meaning he’d offer more long-term stability on the frontcourt regardless of which direction the franchise takes at the deadline.”

For the year, Ayton is averaging 17.5 points, 9.9 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game with 58-32-71 shooting splits. However, as Buckley asserts, he’s a much more versatile defender who’s also more adept at filling a complementary role offensively.

He also doesn’t appear to be long for the Valley of the Sun; he signed an offer sheet with the Indiana Pacers over the summer, but Phoenix ultimately matched it.

Bulls Alums Land With New Teams Overseas

During the latter days of the Baby Bulls era, Thabo Sefolosha emerged from the ether to become a solid contributor off the bench in Chicago. From there, he went on to play in parts of 14 NBA seasons with five teams. And while he hasn’t seen any Association action since 2019-20, his hoops career continues on.

As reported by Le Matin‘s Jeremy Santallo, Sefolosha is joining Vevey Riviera Basket in his home country of Switzerland. But he’s not the only former Bull who may have found a new hardwood home.

Elsewhere on the international scene, Okaro White — who spent training camp with Chicago before beginning the 2022-23 season with the G League’s Windy City Bulls —  signed with Lokomotiv Kuban of the VTB United League, per Eurohoops.