The Nikola Vucevic smoke is starting to billow.
As the February 6 trade deadline approaches, the big man’s name continues to come up in conversations. We heard earlier this week that there is “optimism” within the Chicago Bulls’ organization that they can find a deal for the starting center over the next couple of weeks. Likewise, reports continue to surface that say the Bulls have received numerous calls on both Vucevic and potential third-time All-Star Zach LaVine.
While this feels like good news when we consider the overall trajectory of the franchise, we all know the trade deadline tends to get complicated. Teams love to play hardball down to the last second, crossing their fingers that the other team caves. As advantageous as this can be, it’s also why a lot of deals don’t end up getting across the finish line. You only play cat and mouse for so long.
For what it’s worth, this appears to be the exact stage the Bulls are in with Vucevic and the Golden State Warriors. The team out West has been mentioned heavily as a suitor for the stretch big, and the two have reportedly had preliminary discussions on a deal. However, it sounds like those discussions haven’t advanced primarily because of the Bulls’ current asking price. Chicago Sports Network’s K.C. Johnson gave some insight on this ahead of Chicago’s battle with Golden State on Thursday night:
“Right now, teams are kind of tap dancing around each other. What do you got? What do you want? Nothing typically gets serious until you get closer to February 6. So, right now, the Bulls are asking for a high price for Nikola Vucevic, as they should,” Johnson said live on Chicago Sports Network. “Heโs a very movable and tradable asset. Heโs a two-time All-Star. The Warriors probably are not willing to pay the Bullsโ price at this point. Does that change between now and Feb. 6? It absolutely could.โ
Johnson wasn’t the only one to report that Golden State has been unwilling to meet the Bulls’ demands. Anthony Slater wrote a nearly identical note in his article for The Athletic, but he also implied this could change as the Warriors’ front office looks to satisfy their superstar:
“Chicago has been willing to discuss Vucevic, but the price tag has so far been deemed too steep, league sources said, which is typically the case until the deadline is within about 72 hours. Weโll see if the Warriors get any type of transactional business done in the weeks ahead, but their coach and star point guard are making clear the benefit of a stretch center,” Slater wrote this week.
You can read Anthony Slater’s full article at The Athletic here.
The Nikola Vucevic Asking Price
Let’s make one thing clear: We don’t actually know whether or not the Bulls are asking for too much for Nikola Vucevic. As Johnson noted, he is having a tremendous season. The big man is scoring at a more efficient rate than ever before, and he is nailing his nearly 5.0 three-point attempts per game at a 41.2 percent rate. If the Bulls’ are asking for a first-round pick, that feels more than justifiable.
At the same time, it would also be more than justifiable for the Warriors to wait things out. They want to pay as little as possible, so why not attempt to put some public pressure on the Bulls by claiming that they are doing bad business? Again, this is all a game of cat and mouse. If the Warriors can get the Bulls to drop the price as the deadline approaches … great! If they can’t … perhaps they bite the bullet!
We also have to consider the very real possibility, however, that the Bulls are asking for too much. Overvaluing their assets has been a major problem for this front office in the past. This is what led to them refusing deals at last year’s trade deadline, only to get burned in the offseason. All they got for DeMar DeRozan was a measly second-round pick in a sign-and-trade, while they settled for a direct one-for-one Alex Caruso-Josh Giddey swap. They even failed with Andre Drummond, who seemingly could have netted them a couple of second-round picks at the deadline but left in free agency for nothing at all.
Indeed, the Bulls are known to get high on their own supply. The idea of them doing this again with Vucevic during a career year would not be the least bit surprising. To avoid this, the Bulls have to accept that they do not hold all the cards. Opposing teams know they are stuck in the middle and in desperate need of new life. This alone removes a good amount of leverage. Does this mean the Bulls should accept pennies on the dollar? No, but it does mean they have to be realistic and willing to negotiate in earnest.
There is no real way for us to tell which scenario is playing out. I lean toward believing the Bulls’ price is acceptable, as both Johnson and Slater leave the door pretty open for a deal to get done. But who the heck knows!? The only thing it seems like we can say with some degree of certainty is that this may come down to the wire.
Anyway, if you want more trade rumors talk, we shared A LOT of thoughts on where things stand with Zach LaVine right now …