Bulls executive vice president Artūras Karnišovas believes the team will be able to reach a contract agreement with center Nikola Vucevic, K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago writes. Vucevic is headed to unrestricted free agency this summer unless he signs an extension.
“He’s having an unbelievable year,” Karnišovas said. “And you know we want him to be here.”
Vucevic said he’s willing to sign an extension but doesn’t feel the need to get something done before the season ends.
“If they want to talk extension, obviously we’re open to it,” he said. “But if they want to wait until summer, that’s fine too. We’ll see. Obviously, I’d be interested in re-signing here if we can work everything out.”
We have more on the Bulls:
- Zach LaVine said he wasn’t fazed by a report that the Bulls and Knicks had discussions about him prior to the trade deadline, according to Johnson. “Those speculations don’t come out with winning teams,” LaVine said. “Didn’t happen last year, so I think being one of the leaders of the team and understanding your positioning and the position of the team, your name is going to get thrown in stuff like that.” Johnson downplayed the Chicago Sun-Times report, with his sources suggesting that those talks either never occurred or that they happened weeks earlier.
- The Sun-Times’ Joe Cowley stuck by his LaVine story and said the two sides couldn’t reach an agreement on which players to include in the deal, even with the Bulls also getting back draft capital. A source told Cowley the Bulls aren’t as committed to LaVine long-term as some may think, and they could test the trade market for him once again this summer.
- While the Bulls — expected to be very active before the trade deadline passed — wound up doing nothing, that won’t be the case this offseason, Johnson adds in a separate story. The franchise won’t go into a full rebuild, but the rest of the season will determine Karnisovas’ approach this summer. The Bulls have to give the Magic this year’s first-round selection unless it’s in the top four and they also have key contract decisions to make on Coby White, Ayo Dosunmu and Javonte Green, as well as Vucevic.
- The Athletic’s Jon Greenberg heavily criticized the front office for its inactivity, labeling it a debacle and shameful that changes were not made to a roster that has failed to show signs of taking a big step forward.
Even if everyone on the roster was having a career year the Bulls still aren’t winning a Championship. No generational talent, No Championship. The NBA formula is the easiest of all the sports. You need as many draft picks as possible and/or cap space. The Bulls could have blown this up and accumulated 5-7 First rounds AND cleared cap space.
The owners in chicago have been ok with mediocrity for years dont see anything changing any time soon
All I can say is if this keeps going the way it is, Then they better do something this off season or they’ll lose all the goodwill they built up coming out of the Gar-Pax debacle. Right now they are basically unwatchable. They get a big lead blow it or fall way behind and then try and catch up and can’t because they are a lousy 3 point shooting team. Changes need to be made and I can’t believe they did nothing.
And it’s only been a yr. Since Da Bulls went
46-36.
You know who was ahead of them last yr. With a record of 48-34….. the Raptors.
Two of the five teams in Chicago are held hostage in perpetual mediocrity by Jerry Reinsdorf.
What a shame for a great sports town.
Vucevic just said he is taking the most money he is offered next season. I hope no more than $10 million for 2 seasons is on his mind because Vucevic & da bulls have destroyed his market value since he has been in Chicago. Orlando overpaid him to begin with, can’t imagine da bulls intend to offer him very much.
Everything about the Bulls screams amateur night operation. Still. I get trying to keep a core intact, but not moving off a bench where the pieces are arguably greater than their sum is just negligent.
So, the Bulls head into an off-season where they’ve no draft picks, no cap space, and with a club trending downward. But hey, we can at least look forward to Terry seeing increased minutes. SMH.