Nikola Vucevic Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Bulls Reportedly Still Trying To Trade LaVine, Vucevic

August 4th, 2024 at 11:29am CST by Rory Maher

Marc Stein reported a couple weeks ago that while Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevic remain trade candidates, it appears increasingly likely that both players will open the 2024/25 season as Bulls.

Apparently it isn’t for lack of effort from the front office though. According to Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times, head of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas continues to actively explore deals for the former All-Stars, but obviously the team hasn’t found anything suitable to this point.

LaVine is owed about $138MM over the next three seasons (including a $49MM player option for 2026/27), while Vucevic will earn $41MM through 2026. That salary differential is one reason why Vucevic is viewed as more likely to be moved than LaVine, though Stein wrote that a trade for the 33-year-old big man might not come together until after the season begins.

Cowley’s article is mostly focused on the Bulls’ rotation, which will be difficult for head coach Billy Donovan to manage if the roster remains intact. As Cowley writes, the backcourt, in particular, could be problematic, with Josh Giddey, LaVine and Coby White — three offense-first guards — seemingly likely to start, with Patrick Williams and Vucevic rounding out the first five.

Ayo Dosunmu, Dalen Terry, Jevon Carter, and perhaps even Lonzo Ball will be among the guards off the bench, Cowley notes, further illustrating the rotational dilemma Donovan could face this fall.

Stein’s Latest: LaVine, Vucevic, Nembhard, Morris, C. Jones, More

July 26th, 2024 at 2:47pm CST by Luke Adams

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.

Bulls Notes: Phillips, LaVine, Vucevic, Buzelis

July 14th, 2024 at 3:59pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

With a path to playing time seemingly opened by the departures of two veteran wings, young Bulls forward Julian Phillips is hoping to get some extended run this season, writes K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago.

“Just my leadership and being around the ball,” Phillips said of his goals for his second Summer League with the Bulls this year. “Get loose balls, rebounds. Defense, get my hands on loose balls. Try to be all around.”

With ex-Bulls Alex Caruso and DeMar DeRozan having been sent to contending Western Conference squads, an opportunity could open up for Phillips to earn more rotation minutes this year. Phillips, for his part, seems grateful for the lessons learned from Caruso and DeRozan during his rookie season in 2023/24.

“They both helped and taught me a lot, so I appreciate them for everything,” Phillips said. “It’s not our job to worry about the roster decisions. That’s up to the front office. Our job is to be ready to play. We got a lot of great guys and we’ll be ready for it for sure.”

There’s more out of the Windy City:

The Bulls received poor marks for their trades of Caruso and DeRozan from Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times, who is underwhelmed by the return for Caruso and believes the team waited too long to move on from DeRozan. Cowley adds that two of the club’s other pricey veterans, shooting guard Zach LaVine and center Nikola Vucevic, may be stuck on a rebuilding Chicago team for a while, as neither seems to have garnered much trade interest around the league.
During his Summer League debut, a 96-89 win against the Milwaukee Bucks on Saturday, Bulls lottery pick Matas Buzelis scored 15 points, grabbed seven boards and blocked two shots. He showed a knack for drawing contact in taking seven free throws during 29 minutes of action, and proved adept at defending the rack. Buzelis, however, was concerned by his 4-of-15 shooting line and some defensive decisions away from the rim, notes K.C. Johnson in another NBC Sports Chicago story. “Honestly, I was very sloppy,” Buzelis said. “I can play a lot better.”
In case you missed it, Chicago recently waived two-way power forward RaiQuan Gray, acquired in the team’s three-team sign-and-trade deal that sent DeRozan to Sacramento.

Scotto’s Latest: Markkanen, Achiuwa, Knicks, Kessler, Vucevic, Sixers

July 2nd, 2024 at 3:57pm CST by Luke Adams

The expectation around the NBA, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, is that the Jazz will only seriously consider trading Lauri Markkanen if they receive a huge offer similar in value to the one Brooklyn got for Mikal Bridges, which included four unprotected first-round picks, an unprotected first-round swap, and one more lightly protected first-rounder.

The decision on Markkanen is viewed as an inflection point for the Jazz, who could accelerate their timeline by trying to find another star to join him in Utah or extend their timeline by moving the star forward and continuing to stockpile assets ahead of a loaded 2025 draft.

In addition to confirming the four teams previously reported to have interest in Markkanen (the Warriors, Spurs, Kings, and Timberwolves), Scotto adds the Pelicans to the list of potential suitors for the star forward. However, he says New Orleans has been reluctant to discuss valuable young role players like Trey Murphy and Herbert Jones.

Brandon Ingram, the most obvious trade candidate on the Pelicans’ roster, wouldn’t be a logical target for Utah in a Markkanen trade. New Orleans is including a pair of first-round picks in its deal for Dejounte Murray but could still offer as many as four first-rounders (2025, 2027, 2029, and 2031) in a package for a player like Markkanen.

Here’s more from Scotto:

Unrestricted free agent Precious Achiuwa – who is drawing interest from multiple contenders, per Ian Begley of SNY.tv – liked playing in New York and remains open to re-signing with the Knicks, Scotto writes. The Knicks’ search for help at center has also involved making trade calls to the Jazz about Walker Kessler and the Hornets about Nick Richards, according to Scotto, who says rival executives think the Jazz are more willing to listen to inquiries on Kessler than they would’ve been a year ago.
With DeMar DeRozan seemingly on the verge of leaving Chicago, there’s a belief around the league that the Bulls may look to trade Nikola Vucevic and make the roster even younger, league sources tell Scotto.
Providing several Sixers-related updates, Scotto says Philadelphia is expected to either trade or waive Paul Reed and his $7.7MM non-guaranteed contract, has exploratory trade interest in Nets forward Dorian Finney-Smith, and wants to add more shooting and guard depth, with Lester Quinones and Kyle Lowry among the players on its radar. Additionally, second-round pick Adem Bona is expected to get a standard contract and a place on the 76ers’ 15-man roster, Scotto reports.

And-Ones: Wade, Howard, Vucevic, Pre-Draft

May 30th, 2024 at 4:21pm CST by Rory Maher

Hall of Famer Dwyane Wade has been hired by NBC to work as a game analyst covering men’s basketball for the 2024 Olympics in Paris, reports Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald (Twitter link). Wade will work alongside play-by-play commentator Noah Eagle, Jackson adds.

Wade, who is a minority stakeholder of the Jazz, has worked as an analyst for TNT. The Heat announced in January that they would build a statue outside the team’s arena in honor of Wade.

Here’s more from around the basketball world:

Eight-time NBA All-Star and three-time Defensive Player of the Year Dwight Howard is continuing his playing career overseas. The 38-year-old has signed with the Taiwan Mustangs for The Asian Tournament, the team announced (via Instagram). Howard, who last played in the NBA in 2021/22, signed with a team in Puerto Rico in March. Howard previously spent the ’22/23 season in Taiwan. He was accused of sexual assault and battery in a lawsuit filed last July; that civil suit is ongoing, with a Georgia judge denying a motion to dismiss it in February.
Bulls center Nikola Vucevic headlines the 17-man preliminary roster for Montenegro ahead of the country’s Olympic qualifying tournament this summer, writes Johnny Askounis of Eurohoops. Former Bull Marko Simonovic is also on the list — he spent last season playing in Serbia and Turkey.
Players who were invited to the draft combine but were unable to participate will instead be required to take part in pre-draft activities in Treviso, Italy from June 4-7, the NBA announced (Twitter link). The players had excused absences, as they were still playing for teams overseas. The list of players participating in Italy will be announced next week, per the league.

Central Notes: Giannis, Allen, Vucevic, Haliburton

May 4th, 2024 at 8:27pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Bucks were hoping to extend their first-round series long enough for Giannis Antetokounmpo to return, but the two-time MVP was never close to being activated, according to Jamal Collier of ESPN. Antetokounmpo revealed on Friday that the left calf strain he suffered April 9 was still limiting him to the point where he could only run at about 30-40%.

“I tried my best to come back to help my teammates,” he said. “It’s kind of hard to see them being out there and not being able to help them, but I just couldn’t. I did all the tests I had to do, these protocols you have to follow and have to check the boxes. I wasn’t even close at checking the boxes.”

It’s the second straight season that an Antetokounmpo injury has contributed to a first-round exit for Milwaukee. Collier notes that injuries in general prevented the Bucks from establishing any kind of rhythm after Doc Rivers replaced Adrian Griffin as head coach in late January. Antetokounmpo, Damian Lillard and Khris Middleton only played eight games together under Rivers.

Antetokounmpo pointed out that the team had to adjust quickly after the trade for Lillard was completed late in the offseason and then again after the coaching change. He plans to visit Lillard in Oregon this summer to start preparing for next season.

“Obviously, it doesn’t feel good. The wound, you know, it’s fresh. It’s open. You just lost in the first round,” Antetokounmpo said. “But I’m not a guy who makes excuses. Right now, I do believe that when me, Khris and Dame and Brook (Lopez) was on the floor and we’re healthy, we were one of the best offenses in the NBA. And you can go and check that.”

There’s more from the Central Division:

The condition of Antetokounmpo’s calf will affect his decision to represent Greece this summer, Collier adds. Antetokounmpo has indicated that he would like to play in the Olympics, but he hasn’t made a firm commitment. The Greek team will have to win a qualifying tournament in early July to earn a spot in Paris.
After missing two straight games with a rib contusion, Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen is listed as questionable for Sunday’s Game 7, tweets Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. Evan Mobley rolled his ankle Friday night, but he’s not on the team’s injury report, according to Fedor.
The Bulls plan to explore trade options involving starting center Nikola Vucevic, a source tells Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times. Vucevic, 33, is owed a total of about $41.5MM over the next two years. He was noticeably slower on defense this season, Cowley observes, and he dropped to 29.4% from three-point range.
Tyrese Haliburton is familiar with the playoff history between the Pacers and Knicks and he’s looking forward to being part of it (video link from The Indianapolis Star). He’s also eager for the matchup with Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart, whom he said are both close friends.

Central Notes: Turner, Pacers, Allen, Cavs, Bulls

May 3rd, 2024 at 9:53am CST by Rory Maher

The Pacers advanced to the second round of the playoffs for the first time in 10 years on Thursday night after dispatching the Bucks in six games. T.J. McConnell (20 points, nine assists, four steals in 23 minutes) and Obi Toppin (21 points, eight rebounds in 24 minutes) were particularly impressive off the bench.

As Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star writes, the Pacers are just two years removed from a 25-57 season. And at one point, it seemed inevitable that Myles Turner would be traded.

Instead, the longest-tenured member of the team renegotiated and extended his contract with the Pacers in January 2023. While Turner wishes he could’ve contributed more in Game 6 after several excellent performances during the series, he was thrilled to complete the first playoff series victory of his nine-year career.

“It was bittersweet just because of the way things unfolded for myself tonight but I was very excited for our group,” Turner said. “And for the city just because I’ve seen the highs and lows of this, and I know the fans have seen the highs and lows of this over the past 10 years as well. To finally get a little bit of fruit of your labor with this is incredible. We still have a lot of work to do, but for me personally, it means a lot to finally advance, being in the NBA as long as I have.”

Indiana will face the Knicks in the second round, with Game 1 scheduled for Monday in New York.

Here’s more from the Central:

Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen, who missed Game 5 on Tuesday due to a rib injury, was unable to participate in Thursday’s practice, writes Tom Withers of The Associated Press. “He’s still working through some things, still getting treatment,” head coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. “He’ll be with us on the trip, obviously, and we expect him to give it a go if he can.” Allen is officially questionable for Friday’s Game 6 in Orlando with a right rib contusion, tweets Kendra Andrews of ESPN.
While they’ve won all their home games to hold a 3-2 lead in their first-round series with the Magic, the Cavaliers were blown out in both of their losses in Orlando. Joe Vardon of The Athletic argues that Cleveland should bring Allen off the bench tonight, assuming he’s able to play. According to Vardon, that doesn’t have anything to do with Allen’s performance in the series, as he’s been the team’s “most consistent player.” The Cavs simply have much better floor spacing when they go with one big man in the frontcourt instead of two, Vardon adds, with Evan Mobley filling in at center in Game 5 with Allen out.
In a pair of stories for NBC Sports Chicago, K.C. Johnson reviews the seasons of Bulls veterans DeMar DeRozan and Nikola Vucevic. DeRozan will be an unrestricted free agent this summer if he doesn’t sign an extension, while Vucevic has two years left on his deal.

Central Notes: Turner, Portis, Lillard, Vucevic, Bulls

April 2nd, 2024 at 10:56am CST by Luke Adams

The Pacers‘ blowout win over Brooklyn on Monday was marred to some extent by an injury sustained by starting center Myles Turner. As Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star writes, Turner dislocated his right index finger late in the first half. After shooting a pair of free throws left-handed, he headed to the locker room and didn’t return to the game.

Head coach Rick Carlisle told reporters after the victory that Turner underwent X-rays, which were negative, so the finger doesn’t appear to be fractured. However, it’s unclear whether the big man will be able to play through the injury or if he’ll have to miss some time.

Turner has started 72 of the Pacers’ first 76 games this season, averaging 16.8 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks in 27.1 minutes per night. Reserve center Isaiah Jackson started three of the four games Turner missed, while Jalen Smith subbed in for the other. Both Jackson and Smith would be candidates for increased roles if Turner is unavailable for any games going forward.

Here’s more from around the Central:

Bucks big man Bobby Portis has built a strong case for the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year award this season due to his versatility, energy, leadership, and strong production off the bench, argues Lori Nickel of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. However, as Nickel notes, the award has gone to a shooting guard in 11 of the last 12 years. “I’ve wanted to win it. I’ve been talking about it for, like, five years,” Portis said last week. “Yeah. But they never vote for me though. Because I’m a big man and it is not cool; they told me it’s more of a guard award.”
Damian Lillard has been ruled out for the Bucks‘ game in Washington on Tuesday due to a right groin strain, tweets Jim Owczarski of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Lillard also missed Sunday’s contest in Atlanta, though that was said to be for personal reasons.
Nikola Vucevic‘s three-point percentage has dipped noticeably in the first season of a three-year contract — his 28.6% mark is his worst since he started regularly attempting outside shots seven years ago. However, as Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times writes, Bulls head coach Billy Donovan praised the veteran center for his play this season and indicated he doesn’t believe the 33-year-old’s skills are diminishing. “He’s a consummate professional, he’s incredibly reliable, he’s durable, he’s available, which is the most important thing,” Donovan said. “I know he’s a much, much better shooter than he has shown this year. I really believe that.”
Despite losing to Atlanta on Monday, the Bulls clinched a spot in the Eastern Conference’s play-in tournament, writes K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago. Even if they don’t win another game, the Bulls can’t finish worse than 36-46, while the 11th-place Nets can’t do better than 35-47.

Central Notes: Middleton, Vucevic, Craig, Gibson

March 7th, 2024 at 10:29pm CST by Tristan Tucker

Bucks wing Khris Middleton, out since Feb. 6 with an ankle injury, spoke to reporters for the first time since his injury, writes Jim Owczarski of Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Middleton said he couldn’t think of a worse ankle sprain he’d had than this one in terms of the pain he’s experiencing.

“After it happened I tried to play, run it off a little bit, see if it was going to loosen up or whatever. Just didn’t. Didn’t feel comfortable,” Middleton said. “Went into the back, tried to get re-taped, and as soon as I took my shoe off it just blew up. So had to shut it down.”

He said the process of recovery has taken longer than he’s hoped, but that he has seen improvement. He also said he wouldn’t rule out playing on Milwaukee’s road trip that ends against Sacramento on March 12. The only obstacle left before Middleton is able to return is continued swelling, according to Owczarski.

Middleton knows he needs to play soon to be able to get back to normal form in time for the postseason. He began the year on a minutes restriction and has only played three games under Doc Rivers. With only 19 games remaining in the regular season, Middleton, who is averaging 14.8 points per game this season, is eager to get back into game action.

“I want to get back out there,” Middleton said. “I need to be playing. I’ve been on a minute restriction most of the year so at this point I just need to be on the court. So, I’m fighting every day that I can.”

We have more from the Central Division:

Bulls coach Billy Donovan said Nikola Vucevic has been one of the team’s best defenders over the last three years, and the numbers back that claim up, writes Joe Cowley of Chicago Sun-Times. Vucevic consistently ranks among the team leaders in defensive rating, and Donovan likes the way he can utilize the 13th-year big man. “He’s not going to be as good as [Timberwolves center] Rudy Gobert in drop, but we felt comfortable switching with him in certain situations and putting him on different guys, and he understands how to gap and move his feet,” Donovan said. “He’s a smart defender. I would say he’s played very well for us defensively.“
Bulls forward Torrey Craig, who hasn’t played since Feb. 14 and has played just six games since Dec. 16, made his return to the lineup against the Warriors on Thursday. According to NBC Sports Chicago’s K.C. Johnson (Twitter link), he was on a restriction of 12-to-16 minutes.
The Pistons signed Taj Gibson to a 10-day deal on Wednesday after he spent time with the Knicks earlier this season. Head coach Monty Williams explained the signing, saying that he envisions Gibson helping young players like Jalen Duren (Twitter link via The Athletic’s James L. Edwards III). “I just like having another veteran guy around our team,” Williams said, per Omari Sankofa II of Detroit Free Press (Twitter link). “You look at Evan [Fournier] and how he’s had an impact on the floor and some other areas. I told the guys how you approach your career can pay dividends down the road. He’s had a 15-year-career.“

Bucks Notes: Giannis, Beverley, Portis, Gallinari, Galloway

March 2nd, 2024 at 2:59pm CST by Luke Adams

Prior to Friday’s victory in Chicago, Bucks head coach Doc Rivers was asked why star forward Giannis Antetokounmpo hasn’t generated a ton of Most Valuable Player buzz this season despite putting up some of the best numbers of his career. As Eric Nehm of The Athletic writes, Rivers suggested that voter fatigue may be a factor, given that Antetokounmpo has already won a pair of MVP awards.

“I don’t even want to get into it, but there’s been guys that you get tired of voting for,” Rivers said. “Michael (Jordan) may be the poster child of that. And Giannis seems to be in that category; where you’re so good, everything you do is taken for granted. When you just look at his numbers, they’re incredible, and yet, you never hear his name. It’s unbelievable, but that’s a sign of respect more than disrespect in some ways.”

Not long after his coach made those comments, Antetokounmpo submitted one of his best all-around performances of the season, racking up 46 points (on 16-of-22 shooting), 16 rebounds, and six assists. He’s now averaging 30.8 PPG and 11.3 RPG, with a career-best 61.9% field goal percentage. His 6.3 assists per contest would also be career high, and Giannis appreciates that he’s getting some recognition for his play-making skills this season.

“I’ve become a more willing passer this year because my teammates are pretty freaking good, but I think I always could pass,” he said on Friday. “Coming into the league, that was my thing that separated me, but we didn’t have a lot of TV games, and a lot of people didn’t pay attention to Milwaukee. So, people see me do a pass now, it’s like, ‘Oh, he can pass!’ I’ve been passing. I’m the all-time assist leader in Milwaukee. ‘Oh, he can pass!’ Of course, I can pass.”

Here’s more on the Bucks:

The Bulls took exception to chippy play from Patrick Beverley, Bobby Portis, and the Bucks on Friday, with DeMar DeRozan and Nikola Vucevic both growing frustrated by non-calls and earning flagrant fouls of their own by retaliating, writes K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago. Rivers praised his team after the game for playing physically and aggressively without crossing any lines. “We have instigators, for sure,” Rivers said, per Nehm. “But it’s only good if you can do that and you don’t get caught up into it. And I thought tonight was right on the edge, and then we backed off.”
Danilo Gallinari has made a limited impact in his first five games as a Buck, scoring 10 total points on 3-of-12 shooting in nearly 48 minutes. However, Antetokounmpo likes what he has seen from his new frontcourt mate, according to Johnny Askounis of Eurohoops. “It is easy to play with Gallo. He is so smart,” Giannis said. “He has been around a long time. He knows how to play the game. … We know that he is capable of doing a lot of things for us offensively. Defensively, such a big body helps his defense with his length.”
Jaylin Galloway, the 21-year-old wing who is joining the Bucks on a two-way contract, just completed the first season of a three-year deal with the Sydney Kings. According to Olgun Uluc of ESPN (Twitter links), if Galloway wants to return to Australia’s National Basketball League after his two-year, two-way contract with the Bucks expires (or earlier, if he’s cut), that contract will essentially pick up where it left off, with Sydney holding his NBL rights for two more seasons.