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Some have speculated that the Chicago Bulls will move on from Nikola Vucevic this offseason. But at least one source, NBC Sports Chicago’s K.C. Johnson, believes the narrative around the veteran center has gone a bit too far.
One NBA executive told Heavy’s Sean Deveney that they “know” they have to trade him this offseason.
If Johnson’s assessment is aligned with the team’s, that executive may be way off base. After all, Bulls vice president of basketball operations, Arturas Karnisovas, has made it clear that he intends to build around the Bulls’ fairly expensive core.
Vucevic will certainly remain a part of that core judging by this assessment.
Better Than Advertised
Vucevic came up as a part of a larger discussion on the “Bulls Talk Podcast”, which Johnson co-hosts, about how the Bulls need to improve this offseason. Co-host Rob Schaefer of NBC Sports Chicago said that the Bulls “absolutely” need to add defense around the offensive trio of Vucevic, DeMar DeRozan, and Zach LaVine.
He noted that the Bulls did well to supplement those three with defensive-oriented players in Lonzo Ball and Alex Caruso. But they were still thin in that area. Schaefer then said that the way the Bulls get better despite Vucevic was to continue supplementing as the Bulls have.
Johnson then chimed in to clear up a misconception surrounding the Bulls’ big man.
“Nikola Vucevic was having a good defensive year until the injuries happened. I’m not saying he’s ever going to be a lockdown defender. But there is a scenario in which he works in your team defense. And it was working.”
Vucevic’s defensive rating was tied for the worst of his career, per Basketball-Reference, which was set just a year ago.
Before Ball went down on January 13, however, Vucevic’s defensive rating was 106, a mark he has not achieved since 2018. It ballooned up to 114 once the Bulls point guard suffered his season-ending knee injury.
One Man’s Opinion
It would be easy to take Johnson’s stance on Vucevic as jaded by his proximity to the team and what Karnisovas has said. But he acknowledges that the Bulls still need to add players capable of making an impact on both ends of the floor.
He is not alone in his belief that Vucevic can be a useful member of a team that plays tough defense.
“I remember having that conversation with a couple of scouts in that first half of the year when the Bulls were flying high and leading the East…They were limiting his deficiencies and maximizing his strength.”
Johnson wrapped his thought by reiterating Vucevic’s staying power with this current group.
Schaefer pushed back slightly, hanging his argument on the team’s slide once Ball and Caruso went out. He also pointed to the Bulls’ lack of roster versatility, especially come playoff time when so much is dictated by matchups.
Both Johnson and Schaefer ultimately agreed that the Bulls have to address their lack of defensive depth.
The Bulls had to turn to journeyman Tristan Thompson after the All-Star break to soak up backup center minutes after Tony Bradley but neither proved effective. Their backup wings mostly consisted of 6-foot-3 Javonte Green and Derrick Jones Jr. who is a free agent.
Bulls and Vucevic at a Crossroads
Aside from fit being a potential cause for the Bulls to trade Vucevic, there is an added financial aspect. One that is very significant for a team about to take a “leap of faith” and extend a max contract to LaVine this summer.
Vucevic is heading into the final year of his contract. He will turn 32 just five days after the 2022-23 NBA season begins.
Whether or not what we saw last season was more of a sign of what is to come, rather than the result of a flawed roster remains to be seen. But it is an assessment the Bulls need to make in a relative hurry.
They certainly do not want to be left on the hook for handing out a new deal to a player that was possibly showing signs of decline.
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