Nikola Vučević was a fixture in NBA trade speculation all of last season. However, the Chicago Bulls center is hardly fazed by the rumors.
“The Bulls’ GM (Marc Eversley), who had contacted me after all the rumors about me, confirmed that nothing was true and that everything we had said to each other after the season was still relevant,” Vučević said in a recent interview. “I knew it, but it’s always nice when your GM contacts you to tell you.”
The two-time All-Star also expects to start the season with the Bulls despite the trade and buyout speculation.
“There are always rumors. Most of them are false. It’s a bit of nonsense. For example, the buyout was misinterpreted in Europe: the journalist wrote that if there was no ‘trade’ during the season, there might be a ‘buyout’ option before the ‘deadline’,” Vučević said. “I know how the business works: in the last year of a contract, there is always speculation. Since I can’t control anything, I try not to worry about it.”
The Chicago Bulls center is coming off a good individual season. A season where he averaged 18.5 points, 10.1 total rebounds, and 3.5 assists per game. He also tallied a career-high effective field goal percentage of 59.2 percent. As mentioned, solid individual numbers. However, they hardly translated to team success, as the Chicago Bulls finished with a win-loss record of 39–43. The Golden State Warriors were reportedly showing heavy interest in the Swiss big man last year, but nothing ever materialized in terms of a trade. Given the current state of the Chicago Bulls, the trade and buyout speculation will most likely continue to circulate around Nikola Vučević this coming season.
Nikola Vučević Focused on Next Season With the Bulls
Chicago’s Odds For This Coming Year
If there is a silver lining for the Bulls, it’s that the Eastern Conference will be wide open next season in terms of playoff contention. However, everything will have to go right for Chicago if they hope to clinch a playoff spot. If the last couple of seasons are any indication, the chances of that are very low. Per FanDuel, the Bulls have odds of +430 to make next season’s playoffs as of August 20th, 2025.
Moreover, the Bulls do have some young talent to build around. However, the direction the organization wants to take remains unclear. All in all, it will be interesting to see what happens with the Chicago Bulls and Nikola Vučević this coming season.
