perplexing trade move.. What a sight the NBA’s 2025 trade deadline was. It was the “shot heard round the world” when Anthony Davis was traded for Luka Doncic by the Dallas Mavericks and Los Angeles. Zach LaVine was sent to Sacramento and De’Aaron Fox to San Antonio as part of a three-team deal between the Chicago Bulls, Sacramento Kings, and San Antonio Spurs the very following day.
The Bulls signed Zach Collins, Tre Jones, and Kevin Huerter in place of LaVine, who was paid $43 million, rather than obtaining a star of their own. Together, the three players make over $42 million. Jones, however, is playing on a contract that is about to expire, while Collins and Huerter will be eligible for unrestricted free agency in 2026. Before LaVine’s contract ends, all recently acquired players will be released off Chicago’s roster.
Despite the lackluster haul, the Bulls managed to get a 2025 first-round pick out of the Spurs. The Bulls’ first-round pick, which was originally traded to the Spurs as a top-10 protected pick in the DeMar DeRozan trade in 2021, is regrettably not San Antonio’s 2025 first-round pick. However, if Chicago were to drop out of the top 10 in draft order, they would no longer have to worry about the pick going to San Antonio.
Nikola Vucevic was inadvertently kept by the Bulls until the deadline.
But even after moving their top scorer, the Bulls managed to hang onto a number of other veterans, including as Nikola Vucevic, 34, until the end of the season. Even though Arturas Karnisovas intends to consider trade proposals for Vooch in the future, it might be disastrous if the big man is not let go during a season of his career.
The 6-foot-10 center’s highest point average as a Bull is 19.5 points per game. Vucevic also adds 1.8 three-pointers, 3.5 assists, and 10.4 rebounds a game. Additionally, he has never been more accurate, making a career-high 54.6 percent of his field goals and almost reaching a career-high 39.4 percent from three-point range. In contrast to previous seasons, his trade value is rather high.
On the other hand, Vooch isn’t growing any younger at 34. Father Time, his opponent, has never been defeated. Although the center is having a successful season, a closer examination reveals that Vucevic has become more and more elderly as the season goes on. Since November, the 14-year veteran’s points per game have dropped each month. So far in February, he has averaged a season-low 14.0 points per game.
In addition to the declining scoring totals, Vucevic’s three-point and field goal percentages dropped between November and January. Although the sample size is tiny, he is shooting a little better in February, which also explains his decreased point production.
The Bulls resisted trade offers for their gifted big man, despite the fact that his age is starting to catch up with him. According to reports, the front office thought many of the trade offers were unimpressive. This comes days after the Bulls stated that the only acceptable return was a first-round pick, and with good reason. perplexing trade move.
The Bulls would have been better served striking while the iron was hot and trading Vucevic a few days after LaVine rather than turning down mediocre trade offers. It goes without saying that Chicago just traded two-time All-Star LaVine for peanuts on the dollar and a draft pick, even though the lackluster excuse is understandable.
The more required course of action, of course, was to trade LaVine. As of 2027, he owes $138 million. In contrast, Vucevic is expected to make $41 million this season and the following. In return for Vooch, the Bulls might be able to acquire a young player or a future first-round pick. That’s the best-case situation, though. The 34-year-old’s value will decrease as he gets closer to 35 if he keeps struggling in the final stretch. There isn’t much of a difference between one season and a season and a half, but an expiring contract is always valuable.
Before the deadline, the Bulls probably could have—and most surely should—traded Vucevic. Even after the LaVine trade, the obstinacy is to be expected. Inexplicably, the Bulls’ front office has prioritized competitiveness and a postseason appearance over player retention, often keeping players on the team for far longer than anticipated.
