Another season has ended for Chicago, and this time the American media is writing about a possible trade for Nikola Vučević - all at a time when the Montenegrin center is playing like in his best days.
The Bulls ended the season with a playoff loss to Miami, and Vučević had another double-double of the season, the 11th of his career - 18,5 points and 10,1 rebounds per game.
Our center was once again one of the best on the legendary team from the "United Center", but as Joe Cauley, an NBA insider for the "Chicago Sun Times", writes, the Bulls will reconsider the option of trading Vučević for next season.
According to him, Chicago has allegedly determined Vučević's value, and if no team comes along to offer the asking price, there is a real chance he could serve out the final year of his contract with the "Bulls".
The main reason Chicago would give up Vučević is his contract for the final season of $21,4 million, as well as the age of our basketball player, who turns 35 in October.
According to American media, his three-year contract is worth $60 million, and is structured as follows - $18,5 million for 2023/24, then $20 million for 2024/25 and finally $21,4 million for 2025/26.
On the other hand, the club certainly knows well that if Vučević stays, they have a guaranteed "double-double machine" in him, but also an excellent mentor for young hopefuls like Josh Giddy and Matas Bouzelis.
The guy from Bar had 59 double-doubles in 73 games this season, and only Domantas Sabonis was better than him in that segment with 61.
Because of all this, Cowley believes that the more realistic outcome is that Vučević will wear the red jersey with number nine next season.
"Vučević, Giddy and Kobe White are not the league's 'big three', but they are the Bulls' 'big three' and they all have a fascinating summer in between seasons," concludes the Chicago Sun-Times.
Bonus video:
