NEWSLETTER
Despite wide-ranging and league-wide speculation about what the Chicago Bulls might do this offseason, it sounds like their first move could be simple and uninspired. According to Stadium’s Shams Charania, the Bulls and Nikola Vucevic have started talks about a possible extension.
“The Bulls and Nikola Vucevic have opened up extension negotiations,” Charania said. “There is mutual interest in getting a deal done. He can sign an extension up until June 30th. If there is no agreement by that point, Vucevic will be entering free agency. He will be one of the top centers on the market place.”
We should make clear that Vucevic can still re-sign with Chicago after June 30, but the two sides sound motivated to get something done before the waters get muddied by the rest of the market. And while I labeled this both simple and uninspired, I will add that it’s also the correct move. And I really don’t think that should be a hot take.
I’ve seen some immediate shock on social media … and I’m not sure why? While Vucevic returning on a fresh contract was never a given, it instantly became the most likely outcome after the trade deadline.
The fact of the matter is the Bulls do not want to lose his talent for nothing. Most organizations would try to keep a player that averages 18.0 points and 11.0 rebounds per game rather than opt to watch him walk away for zip in unrestricted free agency. More importantly, it’s not as if Chicago would be overflowing with cash to spend on a better big man in free agency.
We addressed this in our post about the Bulls’ offseason spending power, which you can read here. Vucevic is likely worth a contract that resides somewhere around the $20 million mark (give or take a couple of million). Since the Bulls own his Bird Rights, they’re able to sign him to a deal that meets that AAV. If Vucevic were to walk, however, it’s not like the Bulls would have a free $20 million to spend elsewhere.
The maximum cap space the Bulls can create is right around $16 million. They’ll also have a similar amount to spend in free agency if they remain over the cap and have only their mid-level and bi-annual exceptions. In other words, they’re likely not going to be able to afford a player of Vucevic’s caliber in the open market. So why would they refuse to have contract extension talks with him?
Look, I’m not confident that Vucevic should remain a long-term piece of the puzzle. But I do think this is pretty much Front Office 101. You always try to keep an asset. Then, if you can’t, you at least try to look for a sign-and-trade in the offseason to get something of value in return. And that’s still a possibility!
Also, I don’t anticipate that Vucevic’s contract will be an ugly one. While it might not be a steal, he’ll likely be on a palatable deal that can be flipped down the road. This is especially true when we consider he just came off a solid bounce-back campaign. Vucevic appeared in all 82 games and had the third-most double-doubles in the NBA. We don’t have a major reason to believe he’ll fall off a cliff soon.
As Charania said, if he makes it all the way to free agency, he is expected to be one of the top players on the market. As upset as Bulls fans are with the team and their underachieving nature, that’s an obvious indication that re-signing him is likely the best move.
I know this probably isn’t the rage-filled post that some want it to read. I also want to make clear that the fan in me is still remarkably disappointed with this team and front office. But I genuinely think this is the sensible way for the Bulls to approach things. The worst outcome would be seeing Vucevic leave for nothing in return, particularly when we know this Bulls team NEEDS assets.
Lastly, remember that these are just negotiations (for now). While I think the two sides will probably reach a deal, there is still a chance that a sign-and-trade pops up. Not to mention, even if Vucevic does return, that doesn’t at all mean both DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine will. Those two would net the Bulls the most value on the trade market, anyway. DeRozan is also up for a contract extension, and LaVine’s deal is only getting pricier.
