Nikola Vucevic Responds to Benching in Chicago Bulls' Win, What Comes Next?

As the Chicago Bulls officially snapped their seven-game skid on Friday night, Nikola Vucevic was not on the floor.

The big man spent a mere 22 minutes on the court, marking his second-fewest minutes played in any game this season. Vucevic only clocked less time in the team's 143-107 blowout loss to the Miami Heat on November 21. Head coach Billy Donovan took Vucevic out at the 4:58 mark of the second quarter, proceeding to bench him for the remainder of the game.

Zach Collins and Jalen Smith went on to hold down the frontcourt duties, even sharing the court at times. Collins was ultimately the one to handle crunch time, coming up with a huge mid-range jumper and an assist off a big-time offensive rebound in the final 2 minutes. Without his aggressiveness, the Bulls are likely flying back to Chicago with a familiar feeling.

And Vucevic knows it.

Nikola Vucevic Talks Benching in Bulls Win

Nikola Vucevic of the Chicago Bulls — Dec 12, 2025; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Chicago Bulls center Nikola Vucevic (9) handles the ball against Charlotte Hornets center Ryan Kalkbrenner (11) during the second half at Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images | Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

All things considered, Nikola Vucevic sounded like the elder statesman following the much-needed win. It's not every day that a 15-year veteran is benched in what could be deemed a must-win situation, but you have to tip your cap to him for seeing the bigger picture.

“Obviously, you want to be out there as a competitor," Vucevic told Chicago Sports Network. "But Zach and Styx were playing great. They got us back into the game. They gave us a big boost in that second part of the third and in the fourth, and Billy made the call to stick with them. And obviously it was the right call. We won the game.

Just glad we won the game. It was a tough stretch for us. Seven games that we lost, and it doesn’t matter as long as we win the game. I’m happy we won. You obviously want to be out there, but they made the right call. They deserved to be out there. They played great and finished the game out well for us.”

Vucevic is right, Zach Collins and Jalen Smith deserved to be out there. The double-big lineup was a significant part of Chicago stealing the lead. They finished the third quarter on a 17-7 run with both bigs on the court, making it a one-possession game heading into the final frame. Collins and Smith scored 11 of those 17 points.

Then, their combined effort on the glass helped Chicago out-rebound the Hornets 14-5 over the final 12 minutes. Smith finished the second half as a +11 with 5 points and 6 rebounds. As for Collins, he posted a +15 half with 12 points, 7 rebounds, and 2 assists.

To be sure, plus-minus is far from a perfect stat, but these high marks passed the eye test. And we can (unfortunately) say the same about Vucevic's team-low -15. Not only did he seemingly let his emotions get the best of him at times, but his defensive effort remained a major problem for the Bulls.

Vucevic's worst sequence of the season came mid-way through the second quarter with the game tied. After Miles Bridges drained a tough jumper, the big man went to inbound the ball underneath the basket. He threw it straight to Charlotte's KJ Simpson, who proceeded to bail the Bulls out with an ugly mid-range jumper. A disinterested Vucevic watched the ball bounce off the back of the rim, allowing the six-foot Simpson to easily tap it back in.

A frustrated Billy Donovan immediately called a timeout, and Vucevic strolled over to the sideline before punching the bench. While the plug may not have been pulled right there, that moment made Donovan's eventual decision a lot less surprising.

The question now is, how will the Bulls move forward? I don't think anyone should expect Vucevic to be stripped of his starting spot, particularly after his respectable and team-first attitude after the game. But his recent play can not be ignored. Prior to last night's ugly showing, Vucevic recorded back-to-back single-digit scoring performances for the first time since 2023 and only the second time since 2016. Vucevic's three games with 6 or fewer rebounds also marked his worst stretch since 2016, per Stathead.

Scoring and rebounding are the reasons why Vucevic averages 30+ minutes a night. If he is struggling to produce in both those departments, it becomes incredibly hard to justify playing him his normal workload. Perhaps a game like this awakens something in him, and he begins to look far more like the early-season version of himself. But if that isn't the case, we could very quickly see both Collins and Smith eat up more and more of his minutes.

The last point worth making for now is that this recent three-game stretch isn't going to help Vucevic's trade value. If the 35-year-old is eager to end up in a more competitive environment ASAP, he needs to give contending teams a bigger reason to pick up the phone. Let's also not forget that unrestricted free agency is right around the corner. While he never seemed destined for another large multi-year deal, this season still offers an opportunity to boost his next payday. A lot is on the line.