NBA insider urges Chicago Bulls to trade Nikola Vucevic

The Chicago Bulls’ scorching start has given way to more mediocrity, and it suggests that this roster still isn’t quite ready to contend. It’s still early, but the signs are there that Chicago ought to consider looking more to the future than the immediate present. That means finally trading Nikola Vucevic. Bleacher Report’s Zach Buckley pitched an idea that the Bulls should consider.

This mock trade sends Nikola Vucevic to the Dallas Mavericks for Daniel Gafford, Jaden Hardy, a 2030 second-round pick (via PHI), and a 2032 second-round pick. “Chicago’s 5-0 start was fun, but the foundation has always felt flimsy. The Bulls have gone a forgettable 1-4 since, and their plus-0.6 net rating (18th overall) suggests this group is doing little beyond logging more mileage on the treadmill of mediocrity,” Buckley wrote.

He essentially summed it up by saying if they can get assets for Vucevic, they absolutely should. “His market value won’t measure up to his numbers, since he’s 35 with defined limitations on defense, but maybe Dallas comes calling due to its glaring deficiencies on offense,” Buckley added. If the Mavericks do call, then Chicago could get a much better fit in Gafford as well as a potential scorer off the bench in Hardy. The future picks are nice, too.

It’s unclear what the Mavericks will do, considering they fired their GM and are in shambles right now, but cleaning house is an option. That would mean that the Bulls could pull something like this off, although the Mavericks may not want to bring in players in what amounts to a lost season. Still, the Bulls should try to find a trade for Vucevic, even if it’s not Dallas.