The Chicago Bulls have given up on their “Big Three.”
It was always a hard sell, even in the beginning. The Bulls front office met a healthy dose of skepticism when it took its first big swing to assemble Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan and Nikola Vučević as the central core of the roster in 2021. And the trio never shed the apostrophes — and attached skepticism — surrounding their stature as a true powerhouse combination through three underwhelming seasons together.
Now, that era is at its end. DeRozan is on track to sign elsewhere in free agency. And the Bulls are fervently attempting to trade LaVine once again. With those two core players on their way out, is Vučević next?
Of the trio, Vučević might have been the most natural first piece to fall. He is one of only two players over the age of 30 remaining on the Bulls roster, alongside Torrey Craig. Despite being the first move of that 2021 roster reconstruction, Vučević’s tenure in Chicago has been defined by feeling out of place and out of position, especially as his 3-point production plummeted last season. As the Bulls change course to invest in their younger talent, there are diminishing returns to an extended commitment to an aging center whose versatility is fading.
A trade could also be mutually beneficial for Vučević. Entering the 14th year of his NBA career, it’s unlikely the 33-year-old veteran wants to dedicate his next two years to establishing a culture on a team committed to a grassroots rebuild. Getting out of Chicago could also land Vučević in a better position to maximize what could be his final free agency in 2026.
If both sides are ready for a split, the Bulls might have already secured a Vučević replacement in Jalen Smith – a versatile 22-year-old who can pick and pop while still providing crucial muscle at the rim. Smith agreed to terms on a three-year deal in the opening hours of free agency.
All of these factors make it clear why the Bulls would put trading Vučević at the top of their priority list this summer. But actually accomplishing such a deal is a substantial undertaking.
Once a front office has committed to a full-on rebuild, it makes sense to desire drastic changes: unload every player over 30, dump every jumbo salary and lean into young players with the goal of growing a bunch of low-cost, high-reward contracts into a competitive group several years down the line.
But untangling a specifically constructed roster is complicated. The Bulls have already seen this in their attempts to trade LaVine, whose market dried up after an injury-ridden season that featured some of the worst offensive efficiency of his career.
Despite consistent attention from the Bulls front office, there hasn’t been much trade chatter around Vučević. While prospective trades for LaVine, DeRozan, Alex Caruso and even Andre Drummond stirred up interest during the last two deadline windows, Vučević is typically left out of the conversation. The last time Vučević was seriously discussed as a major trade option was in the 2022 offseason, when the Utah Jazz ultimately sent Rudy Gobert to Minnesota.
The Bulls probably overpaid when they signed Vučević to a three-year, $60 million deal last summer. But the dream of the “Big Three” was still alive back then.
Vučević’s market value shrank considerably in the 2023-24 season. The center’s 3-point shooting dipped below 30% for the first time since 2016 and his defensive deficiencies drew increased attention as the Bulls became a sieve for scoring at the rim.
As a result, this is probably the hardest point in Vučević’s career to complete a trade. The free-agency market was flush with players who were either younger or cheaper — or both — which resulted in quick deals for Nic Claxton, Isaiah Hartenstein and Jonas Valančiūnas.
If the Bulls are serious about moving Vučević this summer, they’ll have to be prepared to accept a low bid. They will be operating from a positional disadvantage, with opposing teams aware of both their desperation to move the contract and the hefty price attached to the center.
But before negotiations begin, they need a trade partner to show any interest in initiating a deal. In the meantime, the Bulls are still waiting with an empty dance card for Vučević.