Looking back at the contract between Chicago Bulls & Nikola Vucevic: What direction for the future in the NBA?

The Chicago Bulls are in a pretty difficult period. Building a roster around Lonzo Ball, Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan and Nikola Vucevic has failed. Some opinions say that the Bulls have considered parting ways with a few key players and looking to rebuild from scratch.

However, they still decided to offer a contract extension for Nikola Vucevic, who will become a free agent in the summer of 2023. The new contract has a term of 3 years, with a total salary of up to 60 million dollars.

Theoretically, retaining Nikola Vucevic will help the Chicago Bulls stabilize the roster until the end of 2026. However, they are still in a dilemma, especially when looking at the future personnel situation. near the.

What direction for the Chicago Bulls?
Among the key players, Zach LaVine is the name with the longest contract with the Chicago Bulls, lasting until the summer of 2027 (if the extension clause is activated). However, the problem lies with the remaining names in the squad.

DeMar DeRozan, the star considered the team’s leader, will only have one year left on his contract for the 2023/2024 season. At the age of 34, his playing ability and endurance will be difficult to guarantee as in many previous seasons. Besides, the salary of 28.6 million USD is also too high for the Bulls to continue renewing with this player.

Not only that, Lonzo Ball’s injury has put the Bulls in a difficult situation. The eldest Ball brother is an extremely important player in coach Billy Donovan’s squad. However, he has not played any matches since January 2022. Some sources said that Ball may have to miss the rest of the 2023/2024 season, even facing the risk of ending his career early.

Thus, the plan to build a lineup of Lonzo Ball, Alex Caruso, Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan and Nikola Vucevic did not come true. DeMar DeRozan is getting older, Lonzo Ball is constantly making friends with the hospital bed, while Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevic have both reached their developmental limit.

Therefore, it is likely that the Chicago Bulls will have to consider player exchange options. An extension with Vucevic can also help them have more voice at the negotiating table, especially when Vucevic is still playing well. Trading DeRozan will also help the Bulls receive some benefits for the future, such as young players or picks in the NBA Draft.

However, any direction for the Bulls is only the assessment of experts. Everything will depend on the top team of the home team at United Center. Regardless, the 2023/2024 season will be a difficult year for the Chicago Bulls.