Chicago Bulls center, Nikola Vucevic, has no plans of going anywhere anytime soon. The two-time All-Star expressed his sentiment to play for at least four more years during Goran Dragic’s farewell game that took place in Slovenia.
“I’m aware that I’ve been in the NBA for 13 years now, that the end is not that far off,” Vucevic said. “I don’t believe I’ll play another 13 years, but I have two more years with Chicago, and I’d like to play two more after that… I think I can play at a high level for that long, and then I’ll see.”
The Bulls big man is currently 33 years old and will turn 34 in October.
Nikola Vucevic Wants to Play Four More Years
Nikola Vucevic’s Career
Vucevic has carved out a decent career for himself. He came in as a role player but has been able to improve and even make a couple of All-Star Teams. Remember, he was arguably the best player for the Orlando Magic for a period of time. During Vucevic’s Orlando tenure, he averaged 17.6 points, 10.8 total rebounds per game, and an effective field goal percentage of 52.0 percent. For his career, he has tallied numbers of 17.1 points, 10.5 total rebounds per game, an effective field goal percentage of 52.4 percent, and a player efficiency rating of 20.1.
While Nikola Vucevic’s tenure with the Chicago Bulls has not quite gone to plan, the team’s struggles is a culmination of multiple factors. Some may say Vucevic is overrated. However, no one is putting the Swiss center in the same conversations as Nikola Jokic or Joel Embiid. He can still be a quality role player in the right situation. Vucevic’s current situation in Chicago should not be an indictment of his impact.
Chicago’s Predicament
The Bulls are in arguably the worst place a team could be in the NBA. Not good enough for a playoff spot, but not bad enough to land a quality draft pick. On top of that, they have an aging star in Zach LaVine with a hefty contract that no team wants to trade for as of right now. As a result, it is difficult to envision Nikola Vucevic remaining with the Bulls outside of his current deal. Do not be surprised if the front office for Chicago decides to drastically shake things up near the NBA Trade Deadline and potentially clean house. One thing is for certain right now, it is a tough time to be a Chicago Bulls fan.
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