An expert doesn’t see this Bulls’ signing as a win.
One of the very first things the Chicago Bulls accomplished before the frenzied free-agent period began was locking up starting center Nikola Vucevic to a three-year deal worth $60 million. It was a deal that was inevitable and somewhat costly, as the Bulls couldn’t possibly lose a player they gave up a boatload of talent and draft picks for in a swing-for-the-fences deal in 2020.
Two and a half seasons later, the Bulls had hoped for a different result. Chicago has missed out on the postseason in two of the last three seasons Vucevic has been with the team, and the fit with other marquee players has been somewhat awkward. Zach Buckley of Bleacher Report graded the Bulls’ recent moves and he handed the Vucevic signing a “C+.”
Report hands the Chicago Bulls a “C+” for re-signing NikolaVucevicRead MoreSalary is decent
Players who can notch double-doubles on a nightly basis are hard to come by in the NBA, and that is exactly what the veteran big man brings to the table. Vucevic averaged 17.6 points and 11 rebounds this past season and was one of the league leaders in double-doubles. His s𝓀𝒾𝓁𝓁 set earned him a nice deal that will pay him above-market price.
“The pay rate for Vucevic is…fine. It might be a tick above market value for a center who isn’t a great outside shooter or rim protector, but he is very good at what he does. He scores in myriad ways, makes good decisions, cleans the glass and plays solid positional defense (when his athletic limitations don’t get in the way),” wrote Buckley.
Overlapping s𝓀𝒾𝓁𝓁s
Vucevic’s best s𝓀𝒾𝓁𝓁 is putting the ball in the basket. However, it overlaps with the scoring abilities of two other players—Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan—making it an expensive luxury for his team.
“The fit isn’t (and hasn’t been) great, since his scoring gets muted a bit by playing with LaVine and DeRozan. The direction is also uninspiring, as Chicago hasn’t appeared as anything more than a play-in team since Ball went down. If Vucevic signed this deal with a team that had a clearer vision and higher ceiling, the letter grade would improve,” added Buckley.
