While Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevic remain trade candidates, it appears increasingly likely that both players will open the 2024/25 season as Bulls, Marc Stein writes in his latest Substack story.
League sources tell Stein that the Bulls are “resigned” to the fact that they’re unlikely to find a deal they like for LaVine before opening night and may have to try to help him rebuild some trade value early in the season.
As for Vucevic, his contract (two years for about $41MM) should be easier to move than LaVine’s, but the expectation is that it will be easier for Chicago to find a deal sometime after the season begins than before that, Stein explains.
Here are a few more items from within Stein’s latest look around the NBA:
- According to Stein’s sources, Pacers guard Andrew Nembhard was only willing to accept a three-year extension from Indiana rather than a four-year deal. The contract will put Nembhard in position to sign his next contract in 2028 when he’s 28 and presumably right in his prime.
- The Mavericks remain committed to re-signing forward Markieff Morris, even after filling their 15-man roster by adding Spencer Dinwiddie, Stein reports. As Stein observes, A.J. Lawson is the most vulnerable of the 15 players on standard contracts, since his 2024/25 salary is non-guaranteed.
- Former NBA guard Carlik Jones, a key member of the South Sudan Olympic team, is committed to playing for KK Partizan next season after not exercising his NBA out by the July 25 deadline, according to Stein, who notes that Donta Hall‘s new two-year contract with Baskonia has an NBA out after the 2024/25 season.
- Evan Fournier and Patty Mills, who finished last season on NBA rosters but don’t have contracts for 2024/25, are among the notable free agents to watch at the Olympics, according to Stein. Stein is also curious about whether a strong showing from Nets guard Dennis Schröder in Paris could help boost his trade value as the German enters a contract year.
Vucevic to Pels makes so much sense
Bulls recieve: Brandon Ingram, Jose Alvarado, Matt Ryan
Pelicans receive: Nikola Vucevic, Lonzo Ball, and picks
Lol such a lopsided trade. The pels get nothing of substance back. doesnt make sense for us to get lonzo back. We knew what his injury situation was and that’s why we traded him for nothing but a 2nd and salary relief basically…and We don’t need picks. Alvarado is our spark off of the bench and I like what Ryan can/did bring us last year with his shooting so I would like to keep him. As I said about, Vucevic is cooked, we don’t want/need those headaches. I’ll take our 2 rookies and theis over that anyday…so in turn, no deal please.
Does Vucevic and his outside shooting make him a better player than Jonas Valanciunas? He is worse defender and worse rebounder…. No rebounds no rings.
Might not be better than Jonas but he sure is better than Theis and Missi …
No I don’t think it does. Would rather have Jonas and I didn’t like him too much tbh but he was serviceable. I didn’t like the version of adams we had either and I would have Vucevic even more then both of those options.
Negative. Ima life long pels fan and we def don’t want him I’m Nola. He is on the downside of his career, his contact is dang near un tradeable it’s seems. Plus, did you see him in the Olympics? Terrible showing. I think he is cooked
Life-long Pelicans fan? I’m a life-long Seattle Kraken fan myself.
Zach LaVine, Nikola Vucevic, Jevon Carter and 2 first round picks for CJ McCollum and Brandon Ingram.
Pelicans would be such an exciting side.
Zion is a beast, Zach has although expensive is a bucket, DeJounte is a hooper, Vuce helps open up the court. Then you’ve got really solid wings in Herb and Trey. Jose is a great plug and play guy off the bench and Theis gives you good minutes.
Would be up there with one of the best 9 man rotations in the league.
On top of that you get back some picks for taking back LaVines contract which doesn’t suffocate you like it would other teams because Dejounte and Herb signed team friendly deals.
As for the Bulls on paper you are missing a lot. You’d need to make some smart late additions in FA (centre in particular) but your not going to get a better return. Ingram gives you 25-5-5 and at his best is a near all star level player, CJ is a great veteran to have lead all the young guards.
Type of move AK could make to save his job and should it fall over hes atleast left them with 3 guards (Coby, Giddey and Ayo) aswell as 3 forwards (Ingram, Buzelis and PatWill).
No thank you. You do make a lot of valid points but the pels would take on ALOT of future salary and get two players on the downswing of their careers(injuries, age) and lose the outside shooting of cj which is valued. In the end I would rather have LaVine over Vucevic anyday but pels would have to move cj/BI to do so and it’s just too lopsided and a non starter…the 1st rd picks from chi have no value to us now bc we are in win mode. So for the above mentioned reasons, the pels say no…I think we/pels can get by with theis, messi Karlo and possibly the new C we claimed from the grizzlies, he is a dark horse
I don’t mean to be rude but Theis at 6’8/6’9, a very raw rookie in Missi and some two way guys aren’t going to be able to keep pace in the finals. Especially when your coming up against guys such as Jokic, AD, KAT/Gobert, Wemby, Sabonis or even Chet.
As for Zach vs CJ and Zachs decline. Zach just set his career high in rebounds, he set his career high in points (27) in 2021, the same year CJ set his (23). CJ the last 3 seasons has had his points, assists and rebounds all drop year after year and is now 32 in comparison to Zach who is 29.
Then as for Vuce, I seen your comments on him earlier I don’t see why your so down on him. He’s only got 2 years at 20mil each left on his deal. He put up 20-10.5-3 last season, as well as being a career 34% shooter from 3. I’m not arguing he’s better than Jonas but he’s definitely better than Theis and Missi. In fact it would be the perfect situation, as he can start, Theis gives you good impact off the bench and Missi can develop behind two really experienced skilled veterans ahead of him.
The argument you could make is it’s a poor return for BI and CJ who have positive value and Zach and Vuce both have this negative value associated with them. But BI is just a poor fit with what you already have, Vuce gives you what you need and Zach personally is better than CJ and on top of that you’re getting picks. I think it’s actually a really good deal.
Three team trade.
Bulls trade Lavine and two or three 2nds to Brooklyn for Ben Simmons
Bulls trade Vooch to GS for Payton, Waters Cash, draft rights, future considerations and two 2nds.
Waive Simmons, Payton and Waters
Easy