Bulls Trade Pitch Replaces Nikola Vucevic With $20 Million Center

Getty Nikola Vucevic during a March 9 game against the LA Clippers.

The Chicago Bulls are at an impasse. They’re too good to be bad, but not good enough to be great. This is typically when teams start tearing it down, and we’ve seen the first signs of that with Alex Caruso and DeMar DeRozan‘s departures.

But what’s next? Patience? Chicago is firmly planted in the lower tiers of the Eastern Conference, separated in talent from the likes of the Boston Celtics, New York Knicks, Philadelphia 76ers, etc.

Do they try and retool the roster again? Or do they (fully) embrace the rebuild? The Ringer’s Michael Pina made an argument for the former, proposing a trade for Cleveland Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen.

Bulls receive: Allen

Cavaliers receive: Nikola Vucevic, two first-round picks, two first-round pick swaps

Allen, fresh off of signing a three-year, $91 million extension, can’t be traded until January 27th. So this deal could only take place midseason, likely amid a resurgent season for Chicago.

The 26-year-old big, in 77 regular-season games last year, averaged 16.5 points, 10.5 rebounds, 2.7 assists, and 1.1 blocks. So if it sounds like an overpay, Bulls fans, it’s not.

Bulls Get Younger, More Versatile with Allen

Pina’s argument for Chicago swapping centers was centered on defensive improvements.

“This is semi-serious,” Pina wrote on October 21. “If you’re the Bulls, why not? Your defense is about to be atrocious (see above) and you’re frantic for useful cogs who know how to win and can function in almost any environment.”

Allen is a shot-blocker by trade and capable of defending along the perimeter. Vucevic is more of a turnstile defender who’s not known for his efficiency on that end of the ball.

For the Cavaliers, Evan Mobley represents their future at the center spot. The longer they force him to play power forward next to Allen, the further back they push his development.

Vucevic is a solid fit next to Mobley, too, as Pina noted.

“It’s slightly more complicated for the Cavaliers, but what if Vucevic can bounce back from a down year and, at 34, start hitting 3s again?” Pina continued. “He’s a skilled big who’d function well on both ends next to Mobley.”

Regardless of what Cleveland thinks of Vucevic, two first-round picks and two pick swaps should erase any pause over doing the deal.

Lonzo Ball Gearing Up for Regular Season Return

Bulls point guard Lonzo Ball passed all the tests in his return to the floor during the preseason.

Ball recorded two double-digit scoring performances while flashing his trademark defense. The three-point shot is there, and he’s back to running the floor as Chicago’s floor general.

The next step is replicating those performances in real time during the regular season. K.C.Johnson of the Chicago Tribune reported on October 21 that head coach Billy Donovan is continually impressed with Ball in his recovery.

“Bulls are controlling Ball in portions of practice, just as they’re placing minutes restrictions in games on him,” Johnson tweeted. “But Donovan said he’s impressed w/ Ball.”

After three knee surgeries and over 1000 days off the hardwood, Ball will return to the NBA floor with hopes of pulling off one of the more ambitious comebacks in sports history.

Chicago opens the 2024-2025 regular season on October 23 in an away game against the New Orleans Pelicans. Tip-off is at 8:00 PM EST.