The Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State Warriors might find themselves in a bidding war over Chicago Bulls center Nikola Vucevic.
The Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State Warriors are the only two teams so far this season to make major mid-season trades. The Lakers acquired Dorian Finney-Smith while the Warriors landed Dennis Schroder, both from the Brooklyn Nets. They want to continue improving their roster to solidify their spot in the West, with a common target piquing both teams' interest.
According to Evan Sidery, Chicago Bulls center Nikola Vucevic is a target for both the Warriors and Lakers. He also added that the Bulls likely will have to settle for second-round picks as draft compensation in a Vucevic deal.
"The Lakers and Warriors are viewed as the strongest trade suitors for Nikola Vucevic. Both teams can match Vucevic’s $20 million salary in talks with the Bulls utilizing various contracts. Chicago will likely have to end up settling for second-round draft capital on Vucevic."
Vucevic is averaging 20.2 points and 10.1 rebounds on 42.9% from three this season. While his numbers look incredible on paper, there's almost no chance he will replicate that production on a contending team.
He'll be expected to fit within a role, not be a high-volume scorer with plenty of post-touches. It seems teams interested in Vucevic are aware of that reality, and rightfully don't want to part with a first-round pick for him.
He's making $20 million this season with a contract that lasts until 2026. The 34-year-old center has proven himself as an All-Star in the past, but he's far removed from that version of himself despite the season he's having.
It's highly unlikely that either the Warriors or Lakers offer up a first-round pick for Vucevic. There aren't many other teams publicly linked to him, but it wouldn't make sense for other contenders either such as the Phoenix Suns or Memphis Grizzlies.
The Cleveland Cavaliers, Boston Celtics, and New York Knicks also do not need Vucevic, so very few contending teams will have a reason to pursue the center. It seems his value will settle at multiple second-round picks, which opens the pool of teams greatly.
The Lakers still control two second-round picks for the 2025 Draft itself, which might be more valuable to the future seconds that the Warriors have. However, Golden State has more picks at their disposal unlike the Lakers, squeezing them out unless they overpay with a first-round pick.
The Warriors center rotation has been weak this season, with Vucevic being one of the few stretch-five options they can look at for a mid-season trade. The Lakers have had no depth at the position behind Anthony Davis, who prefers playing power forward anyway. Vucevic might be a starter on both teams, but only if he fits within the role they have for him.
In terms of players, the Warriors will likely have to offer a combination of players which will include Kyle Anderson, Kevon Looney, or Gary Payton II. The Lakers will have to add Gabe Vincent with multiple minimum contract players or part with Vincent and Jarred Vanderbilt.
The deadline is under a month away, so we're on the cusp of some major movement across the market. Whether Vucevic is one of the movers remains to be seen.
