The Chicago Bulls don’t want to rebuild. Arturas Karnisovas has made that clear. But if the plan is to run it back, which it probably shouldn’t be, the Bulls need to add significant support around their Big Three. However, before they can do that, they need to focus on keeping their core intact.
Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan are under contract, but the third member of Chicago’s Big Three, Nikola Vucevic, will be an unrestricted free agent this summer if he and the Bulls don’t come to an agreement on a contract extension by the end of the month. If he hits the open market, Vucevic will undoubtedly have plenty of suitors.
According to Andy Bailey of Bleacher Report, who recently ranked the top free agents in the 2023 class, Vucevic is the 15th-best player who could be available. He even questioned whether or not the big man has become underrated.
“Has Nikola Vučević somehow become underrated?” Bailey wrote. “With all the recent talk of what he doesn’t do, some seem to have forgotten his wide-ranging 19.8 points, 11.3 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 0.9 steals and 0.9 blocks in 33.4 minutes over the last three seasons.”
Vucevic’s rebounding and decent outside shot are valuable assets, but his durability has also stood the test of time. He played all 82 games for the Bulls this past season, proving that he can be an every-night starter.
While Vucevic’s lateral quickness and defensive versatility may leave a lot to be desired, if the Bulls let him hit the open market, there’s a chance he may not be in a Chicago uniform come the start of next season.
