Why Nikola Vučević’s Trade Value Could Be Unclear This Offseason

With the Chicago Bulls once again failing to make the actual playoffs, the organization is likely busy trying to map out its immediate future.

One specific avenue of that future is whether or not Nikola Vučević should remain a part of it.

Age & effectiveness

There’s no question that, despite his age, Vučević remains impactful. The 34-year-old is still very much capable of producing at a high level, as he finished the year averaging 18.5 points, 10.1 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and sporting a true-shooting efficiency of 61.1%.

Those are rock solid numbers, and while they’re bumped up by Chicago’s fast pace, there’s a major case to be made that Vučević himself is far better in an offense built around speed, than usual half-court slugfests.

At just over $21.4 million next season, the last year on his contract, a case could be made that Vučević would make for an interesting, and realistic, target for serveral contenders in need of more offense at the big position.

But first, the Bulls will have to agree to move off of him, and that’s not necessarily written in stone. Chicago has a history of hanging onto players for too long, and a reasonable argument can be made that Vučević is among that group already.

That said, given he’s just coming off one of the best years of his career, and the fact that he’s actually fairly cheap when you consider the salary cap bump this summer, now might be the best time for Chicago to make the decision of trading him to someone with a higher chance of winning a championship.

What’s the return?

Identifying a return isn’t straightforward. Vučević is a player with clear strengths, and clear weaknesses, some of which will have a portion of teams immediately write him off as a legitimate candidate.

As such, the Bulls will need to boil down their list of potentially interested teams to those who don’t mind his defensive shortcomings, and who’ll live Vučević going through a three-week stretch every season where he looks like a bench player.

The Lakers would prefer a vertical player at center, who can catch lobs and make plays near the rim, and play off both LeBron James and Luka Dončić, but what if their best option this summer is Vučević?

The Raptors, who need both floor-spacing and depth at center, is also a team that shouldn’t dismiss Vučević out of hand.

Even the Atlanta Hawks, who are in need of size and consistent scoring at center, can’t really afford to not inquire about him, if they wish to become more competitive next season.

So, what could a price point be?

From Chicago’s side, it should be all about draft capital, except the organization has seemingly no interest in building through the draft. That means the next-best thing could be young veterans, who have available data points for Chicago to analyze, and ponder whether there’s a fit or not.

That, more than anything, seem like the most realistic path should Chicago end up exploring Vučević trades.

Unless noted otherwise, all stats via NBA.com, PBPStats, Cleaning the Glass or Basketball-Reference. All salary information via Spotrac. All odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook.