A play-in tournament loss to the Miami Heat on Wednesday officially ended the Chicago Bulls' 2024-25 season, and now the struggling franchise has to figure out where they go from here.
The Bulls finished with a 39-43 record, putting themselves in an odd position between competing in the Eastern Conference and landing a top pick in the draft. Thankfully, the Bulls have a couple of promising young pieces to build around like Josh Giddey and Matas Buzelis, but many of their other assets are very expendable.
A name on the Bulls that is commonly thrown around trade talks is center Nikola Vucevic.
Vucevic, 34, was rumored to get moved ahead of this season's trade deadline, but the Bulls surprisingly kept him around. Now, heading into the offseason, the Bulls have to decide what his future looks like in Chicago.
Chicago Sun-Times' Joe Cowley reported that the Bulls will certainly look to shop the three-time All-Star again, and he will most likely get moved at next season's trade deadline.
"The Bulls once again will look to move Vucevic, making room for Zach Collins as the temporary starter or drafting a young rim protector," Cowley reports. "Vucevic does have an expiring deal, but, in all likelihood, he could be moved more easily at the February trade deadline."
REPORT: The Bulls are expected to once again shop Nikola Vucevic at next season’s trade deadline, per @JCowleyHoops.
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) April 20, 2025
Which team could use his services? pic.twitter.com/qW8OhF1ql0
Vucevic averaged 18.5 points, 10.1 rebounds, and 3.5 assists per game this season with 53.0/40.2/80.5 shooting splits. The talented big man could certainly be of great use to a contending team in need of a center who can stretch the floor, but the 34-year-old does not match Chicago's timeline.
Vucevic is entering the last season of his deal, making his expiring contract a valuable asset for Chicago at next year's trade deadline.
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