Report suggests Chicago Bulls will keep trade candidate on roster through rest of season

The Chicago Bulls find themselves in a familiar place. After a win over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Thursday night, the Bulls are 22-22 and right in the mix for the play-in. That’s been pretty much where the Bulls have been for the past few years, refusing to rebuild.

Instead, they appear content with hovering around .500 and losing either in the play-in round or early in the NBA playoffs. That’s just the sad reality. This season, the Bulls could move some pieces ahead of the trade deadline to try and rebuild on the fly and acquire assets.

Names like Coby White and Nikola Vucevic have been floated around in potential deals. While those rumors continue to swirl, the latest report about Vucevic isn’t great news for those who want the team to rebuild.

The Chicago Bulls are expected to keep Nikola Vucevic

With Vucevic’s deal expiring after this season, the Bulls could at least get an asset in return before he heads to free agency. But that might not be the case and instead, the Bulls could keep him. At least that’s what one NBA reporter believes.

Per Jake Fischer, it’s expected that Vucevic will remain in Chicago through the trade deadline. Here is what Fischer wrote:

“It makes sense for the Bulls to be looking at possible centers of the future, knowing that Nikola Vucevic is in the final year of his contract. Multiple sources this week stressed that it’s now unlikely that Vucevic gets dealt before the deadline,” Fischer wrote in his latest report.

“It’s believed that Vucevic, should he enter free agency this summer after playing out his three-year deal with the Bulls, will generate some strong interest from teams looking at a longtime starter believed to be open to a more complementary role in the right situation … similar to Al Horford during last summer’s free agency.”

With the NBA trade deadline under two weeks away, things could change. However, as it stands now it feels like he will remain a member of the Bulls.

The 35-year-old is having a solid season averaging 17.0 points, 9.1 rebounds and 3.8 assists in 42 games. He should get a lot of attention as a free agent next Summer. But if the Bulls can get something in return for him now, they should at least explore that opportunity.

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