Getty Nikola Vucevic and Joel Embiid react during a game between the Chicago Bulls and the Philadelphia 76ers.
The Chicago Bulls currently find themselves between a rock and a hard place with regard to starting center — and soon-to-be unrestricted free agent — Nikola Vucevic.
The two-time All-Star upped his offensive efficiency in a significant way last season, posting the same scoring average of 17.6 points per game in 2022-23 that he did in ’21-22 while attempting 1.8 fewer field goals nightly. Meanwhile, he logged a career-best effective field-goal percentage of 57.3.
On the flip side, Vucevic’s offensive game still isn’t diverse enough to make up for his shortcomings on the defensive end. And after making a cool $22 million last season, he could be in line for another big payday this summer; a grim reality for a Bulls front office that has been reluctant to spend and doesn’t have a clear avenue toward replacing the pivot should he leave.
Despite that push and pull dynamic, Bleacher Report’s Zach Buckley has a firm take on whether or not the 32-year-old is likely to re-up for an extended run in the Windy City.
B/R: 2x All-Star Nikola Vucevic Poses ‘Low’ Flight Risk for the Bulls
In Buckley’s “flight-risk meter” for the No. 1 free agents on each of the NBA‘s teams, Vucevic was given the distinction for the Bulls. As the hoops scribe sees it, though, the big man’s quirky game is such that he requires a very specific set of castmates to have a winning impact, which could limit his free-agent options.
With that in mind, Vooch was deemed to pose a “low” risk of skipping out on Chicago.
“Vucevic’s skill set is such that he may only appeal to a specific suitor. He would have to play for a win-now team outfitted with the perimeter stoppers needed to hide his shortcomings on the defensive end,” wrote Buckley. “Chances of him finding said suitor seem remote.”
Buckley did throw in the caveat that the Bulls could look to move on from Vucevic and other name talents in the event that the team opts to blow things up and start over. However, VP Arturas Karnisovas essentially dismissed that as a possibility during his year-end media availability, as relayed by NBC Sports Chicago.
Vucevic’s On/Off Data Sends Mixed Messages
In terms of net rating, Vucevic was a clear negative-impact player for the Bulls last season. When he was on the court, the club was outscored by a half-a-point per 100 possessions and was middling on both ends. When he sat, the Bulls were actually 6.9 points per 100 poss. better.
They were particularly stout defensively during those minutes, posting a D-rating of 104.2; a number that would have led the league by a college mile had Chicago maintained it with Vooch in the game.
At the same time, though, the Bulls were at their best overall when they had Vucevic on the hardwood with the right players surrounding him.
For example, the five-man crew of Vooch, DeMar DeRozan, Zach Lavine, Alex Caruso and Patrick Beverley outscored opponents by 14.6 points/100 poss. and was the best of the Bulls’ lineups logging 100 or more minutes in ’22-23. In fact, three of the top four lineups using those criteria also included Vucevic.