As the Josh Giddey contract conundrum looms over Chicago Bulls’ fans and the NBA world as a whole, a lesser escapade has seemingly been swept under the rug. The Bulls’ intention to trade 34-year-old center Nikola Vu\u010devi\u0107 has quieted in recent weeks.<\/p>\n
Not long ago, NBA Insider Jake Fischer reported<\/a> that one of Vu\u010devi\u0107’s primary suitors, the Golden State Warriors, had relinquished their interest in trading for the sweet-shooting big man. Fischer wrote, “The Warriors, though, appear to have moved away from past trade interest they previously registered in veteran Bulls center Nikola Vucevic\u2026”<\/p>\n Fischer referenced the Warriors’ pre-trade deadline interest in Vooch, which originally picked up steam last December. Golden State ultimately landed a bigger fish, acquiring Jimmy Butler from the Miami Heat. However, the Warriors still reportedly prioritized<\/a> Vu\u010devi\u0107 leading up to the deadline. Nonetheless, a trade never materialized due to the Bulls’ insistence on acquiring a first-round pick.<\/p>\n A contract buyout is reportedly Vucevic’s lone exit avenue<\/p>\n Now, as teams finalize their rosters following the flurry that is NBA free agency, Vu\u010devi\u0107’s trade market is reportedly listless. On an episode of NBA Insider Notebook on Bleacher Report<\/a>, Fischer answered a listener’s question regarding Vu\u010devi\u0107 trade talks.<\/p>\n Fischer began his remark by proclaiming, “No [referencing a potential trade this offseason], we’ve been talking about how there hasn’t been much of a market for Nikola Vu\u010devi\u0107 all along, dating back to last trade deadline.” In the second part of Fischer’s response, he insinuated a far more demoralizing outcome for Bulls fans. Fisher said, “I think at this juncture, we’re probably more likely to see a Nikola Vu\u010devi\u0107 buyout midseason than we are to see a trade\u2026”<\/p>\n