Tag: Tracking

The Chicago Bulls might be zeroing in on a destination for center Nikola Vučević.

The Golden State Warriors have emerged as a potential suitor for Vučević ahead of the Feb. 6 trade deadline, according to an ESPN report. The Warriors are engaging in initial trade conversations as the Bulls take calls on offers for both Vučević and Zach LaVine.

Vučević, 34, is the more affordable of the two veterans — currently midway through the second season of a three-year, $60 million deal — and his sudden resurgence as a versatile shooting big has been enough to pique interest around the league. The center is shooting a career-best 41.1% from 3-point range and is averaging 20.3 points per game.

The Warriors already have been active on the trade market this winter, acquiring Dennis Schröder and a 2025 second-round pick from the Brooklyn Nets in exchange for De’Anthony Melton, Reece Beekman and three second-rounders. Although the Warriors are not engaging in a full rebuild, they have been active in attempting to retool their roster around Steph Curry and Draymond Green as they battle for play-in contention in the Western Conference.

Moving Vučević is one of the central goals for the Bulls front office. His performance in his 14th NBA season has been enough to convince other teams that he could make an immediate impact for a run at the postseason. After failing to make a move at the deadline last year, the Bulls are much better positioned with Vučević, LaVine, Lonzo Ball and Coby White all providing legitimate value on the market.

The main issue for the Bulls is getting the right return. The front office has not been eager to accept low-ball offers just for the sake of offloading their veterans to begin a rebuild. If the correct offer doesn’t cross the table, it’s likely Bulls executives will hold off on moving LaVine or Vučević before the deadline.

Jan. 3: Is Jimmy Butler an option?

Jimmy Butler is back on the market — and joining a growing list of trade targets for the Chicago Bulls to consider ahead of the Feb. 6 deadline.

The Miami Heat suspended Butler without pay for seven games for “conduct detrimental to the team” in the wake of recent indifferent play and comments that Butler no longer believes he can be his best self with the franchise.

The timing of the move makes it likely that Butler has played his final game with the Heat after five-plus seasons with the team, with the Heat front office expected to seek a trade for the disgruntled six-time All-Star.

Butler is reportedly open to “anywhere other than Miami,” according to ESPN. He voiced a similar sentiment during a postgame news conference.

“I want to see me getting my joy back playing basketball,” Butler said. “Wherever that may be, we’ll find out here pretty soon. I’m happy here off the court, but I want to be back to somewhat dominant. I want to hoop and I want to help this team win and right now I’m not doing it.”

If Butler is open to any destination, should the Bulls throw their hat in the ring?

After weeks of public back-and-forth between Butler’s agent, Bernard Lee — who denied any discontent from Butler — and ESPN’s Shams Charania, Butler’s admission made a splash. He could be an interesting prospect for teams interested in a veteran secondary star, such as the Houston Rockets or Golden State Warriors.

Butler is averaging 17.6 points in his 14th season. And in Chicago, he could provide a plausible potential swap for Zach LaVine, whom the Bulls acquired from the Minnesota Timberwolves in exchange for Butler in 2017.

But for the Bulls, the Jimmy days likely have passed. While he certainly would bolster a shaky defense and provide veteran scoring, Butler is in a different stage of life than the Bulls, who haven’t even completed the asset-dumping portion of a rebuilding process.

Beyond that, such a trade is well outside the Bulls’ means. Butler might say he’s willing to go anywhere, but he has made it clear that contending is his ultimate goal — something the Bulls can’t promise anytime soon. The Bulls also are looking to recoup assets rather than send them out, which puts them in a poor position to negotiate a trade with the Heat front office.

Jan. 3: What about Zion Williamson?

OK, how about a younger star?

The Bulls are seeking a new No. 1, someone whose upside can serve as a cornerstone of their rebuilding project. Zion Williamson isn’t an outright guarantee to deliver on all of that, but he checks several important boxes, including a comparable contract to offload LaVine’s and a lot of young potential.

A recent ESPN report listed the Bulls as a potential landing spot for Williamson, 24, as the New Orleans Pelicans prepare to shop the former No. 1 pick.

But there are plenty of reasons to be concerned. Williamson has struggled to stay on the court, missing the entire 2021-22 season and averaging only 46 games in his other four seasons. He has played only six games this season and has been unable to maintain the explosive physicality that earned him fame as a high school and college prospect.

But Williamson’s ceiling remains one of the highest among the young NBA stars. Despite his inconsistencies, he never has averaged fewer than 22 points in a season and has earned two All-Star selections.

The Bulls have not shown any outward interest in Williamson. But as the front office brainstorms options — frontcourt, backcourt, picks versus players — for potential trades in the coming weeks, this is an interesting name to add to the debate.

Dec. 18: Denver Nuggets tied to potential Zach LaVine trade

Zach LaVine’s name is sure to be mentioned repeatedly between now and the Feb. 6 NBA trade deadline.

The first trickle of rumors surrounding the Chicago Bulls guard came in mid-December from The Athletic. The Denver Nuggets, seeking a secondary star to slot in next to Nikola Jokić, reportedly are eyeing LaVine, among others.

The Nuggets have a slew of options in mind: the Washington Wizards’ Jonas Valančiūnas and Jordan Poole, Utah Jazz’s Jordan Clarkson, Brooklyn Nets’ Cam Johnson and Atlanta Hawks’ De’Andre Hunter, according to the report. But LaVine is an outlier among the group for two reasons.

The first: LaVine is, hands down, the best scorer in that group. A two-time All-Star, LaVine has bounced back from injury to buoy the Bulls this season, averaging 21.7 points while shooting a career-best 42.8% from 3-point range.

LaVine is day to day with back spasms, which held him out of Monday’s win in Toronto. But when available he’s a standout two-level scorer. Few players would offer a better lift for the Nuggets, who consistently struggle to find a source of offense when Jokić needs a couple of minutes of rest.

But the second reason LaVine is an outlier is also why he’s the least likely trade option of the bunch: his salary.

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LaVine is midway through the third season of a five-year maximum contract valued at $215 million. And the price tag — not his abilities — has prevented LaVine from being moved despite significant interest from both the Bulls and LaVine over the past year.

To make a trade work, the Nuggets would need to send back a significant amount of salary to remain cap compliant. The most realistic options to complete a deal would be their top earners besides Jokić: Jamal Murray, Michael Porter Jr. and Aaron Gordon.

The only player in that group the Nuggets likely would be willing to part with is Porter. The sixth-year wing is also in the third year of a five-year deal, but he would lighten the Bulls’ books by more than $7 million per year.

Porter is a lower-volume shooter who offers less offensive punch than LaVine — but if draft capital is also involved, this could be the first step for the Bulls in navigating a complex roster overhaul. Still, it would be a hard sell to any team with the length (2½ seasons) and amount of LaVine’s contract left to pay out.

Other players to watch

Nikola Vučević

The center is playing out of his mind this season, shooting a remarkable 58.7% from the field, including 47.5% on 3-pointers. With his combination of accuracy and experience, Vučević looks like a steal at $20 million per year — and could be the easiest move for the Bulls to cash in on some draft stock.

Lonzo Ball

This one takes a little more trust. Ball has begun to return to his previous form as an elite passer and consistent defender, but he hasn’t been medically cleared to play more than 20 minutes per game. With each successful outing, however, Ball is moving the needle on potential interest around the league in the final year of his contract.

Ayo Dosunmu, Coby White and Patrick Williams

All three young players fit into the same category of potential trade assets for the Bulls: movable contracts, decent levels of development, consistency in their respective strengths — defensive versatility for Dosunmu and Williams, shooting and on-ball playmaking for White. Williams can’t be moved until Jan. 15 because of a restriction from signing his new contract over the summer. The Bulls are unlikely to part with their entire young core at this juncture, but attaching one of these players to a trade could be worth it — for the right price.

Tribune news services contributed. 

Originally Published: January 22, 2025 at 8:15 PM CST