It Sounds Like Nikola Vučević Will Make It Through Another Chicago Bulls Deadline

The Chicago Bulls are facing a familiar hurdle as the trade deadline nears.

Many expect the franchise to be among the most active in the NBA. Facing the harsh reality of a fourth straight Play-In Tournament appearance, it finally feels like the front office could embrace the role of a seller. Few organizations have the future financial flexibility and current expiring contracts that the Bulls do. In other words, not only could they look to send rent contributors to contenders, but they could look to take on future money in return for meaningful draft capital.

Nevertheless, whether the Bulls will fully commit this time around remains a fair question. We also can't fail to consider that it takes two to tango, and this front office has seemingly run into trouble finding proper dance partners in the past.

This has proven especially true with Nikola Vučević, who has been on the market since last season. All signs pointed to the Bulls showing a willingness to move on from the big man, but the Golden State Warriors appeared to be the only interested party. Then, there was little to no buzz over the offseason about a potential trade. To be clear, it's unknown how much work the Bulls put into actually finding one, but the absence of any rumors felt as if it spoke to the lack of suitors.

Fast forward to today, and it sounds like the market is as dry as ever.

Expect Nikola Vučević to Stick Around

Nikola Vucevic of the Chicago Bulls — Jan 20, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Bulls center Nikola Vucevic (9) dunks the ball against the LA Clippers during the first half at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn Images | Matt Marton-Imagn Images

Jake Fischer of The Stein Line spoke about Nikola Vučević's future in his latest intel piece. While reporting on the Chicago Bulls' interest in Pelicans second-year big man Yves Missi, he made note of Vučević's looming divorce with the franchise. Rather than sharing news of any suitors, however, he said that multiple sources have informed him Vučević is unlikely to be traded by February 5.

Fischer did go on to say that there is expected to be legitimate interest in Vučević in free agency. But it sounds as if no one is all that eager to jump the line to get him in-house before then. For what it's worth, this was always the concern when it came to Vučević's trade market. Would he be able to help a contender during the second half of this season? Sure ... but at what cost?

The big man is owed $21.5 million this year. All things considered, this isn't a particularly easy salary to absorb halfway through the year, especially for a contending organization, which normally has a sizable cap sheet. We also can not ignore the obstacles he brings defensively. Might he make up for some of it on the other end? Absolutely, but enough to outweigh giving up assets to add him a few months early? The understandable alternative is to target him in the summer when you can pay him less and build a roster that helps cover up his deficiencies.

Obviously, losing Vučević for nothing is something the Bulls would prefer to avoid. But it wouldn't be as bad as facing the same reality with a player like Coby White or Ayo Dosunmu. The unfortunate truth is that Vučević's market simply hasn't materialized in a meaningful way. The Bulls may now have to accept that.

If this does prove to be true, the only thing Chicago can not do is panic. Failing to find a trade for the veteran is not a reason to re-sign him once the summer arrives. Sometimes you have to accept watching someone leave, which has been a problem for this front office in the past. Time and again, we have seen them talk themselves back into their current state of affairs. That's exactly why they find themselves stuck where they are today.

Speaking of which, we talked more about the possibility of the Bulls re-signing Vucevic earlier this month. For the sake of not repeating why that makes little sense for the organization, I will direct your attention to that article here. While there is no question that he has been a dependable contributor for the Bulls in recent years, sometimes moving on is the best option for all parties.