The Chicago Bulls and center Nikola Vucevic are nearing a three-year, $60 million contract extension, according to NBA insider Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium.
Vucevic would have become an unrestricted free agent on June 30 had he and the Bulls not reached an extension.
As a member of the Bulls in 2022-23, Vucevic averaged 17.6 points, 11.0 rebounds, and 3.2 assists while shooting 52.0% from the field, 34.9% from beyond the arc, and 83.5% from the free-throw line. In terms of double-doubles (51), he ranked third in the NBA.
In March 2021, the Bulls acquired Vucevic from the Orlando Magic. To acquire Vucevic, Chicago traded Wendell Carter Jr., Otto Porter, a 2021 first-round pick (Franz Wagner was later chosen), and a 2023 first-round pick to Orlando. The Bulls also granted the Magic a trade exception in the blockbuster deal.
NBA NEWS & RUMORS: Nikola Vucevic & Chicago Bulls Updates
“I think they value me highly,’’ Vucevic said of the Bulls organization in April. “They traded for me; they appreciate what I bring to the table. We didn’t talk about [a contract extension] all year, but we will when July comes. Yeah, we have a good relationship, and we’ll talk when the time comes.’’
The Bulls missed the playoffs in 2023 after making it in 2022. Chicago lost the 8-9 play-in game to the Miami Heat in South Beach. It was clearly a challenging season for the team, with Vucevic expressing as much late in the regular season as their outlook had dwindled.
“Maybe 30 games ago, but now it’s hard to look at it that way,” Vucevic said to The Athletic. “It doesn’t really depend on us anymore,” Vučević said. “I mean, it does. We have to win. But we’re depending on the people in front of us, on how they do. So it’s hard to say after 65 games we didn’t figure it out. It’s tough to believe that something’s just going to (click) like that. We’ll see. We’re going to keep fighting, keep hoping something happens. But it’s obvious we’ve put ourselves in a very difficult spot now.”
NBA NEWS & RUMORS: Nikola Vucevic & Chicago Bulls Updates
When looking ahead to other needs, the Bulls must continue to add more 3-point shooting and versatile defenders around their critical players if the core group will remain together. Many people around the NBA think Chicago will sign a point guard this summer since Lonzo Ball is expected to miss the entire 2023-24 season.
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