Bulls re-signing standout center to big contract
Mar 7, 2021; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Orlando Magic guard Nikola Vucevic (9) competes during the NBA All-Star Skills Challenge at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
The Chicago Bulls are keeping their core together, for better or worse.
Center Nikola Vucevic is finalizing a three-year, $60 million contract with Chicago, his agents told Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN. The agreement is set to keep Vucevic with the Bulls through the 2025-26 season.
Chicago Bulls center Nikola Vuvevic is finalizing a three-year, $60M contract extension, his agents Bill Duffy and Rade Fillipovich tell ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 28, 2023
A former All-Star, Vucevic came to the Bulls in a trade in 2021. There were some rumblings during the season that he was not happy with the situation in Chicago, but ultimately, he was willing to re-up with the team. Perhaps he sensed that his market would not develop the way he wanted it to if he tested free agency.
The 32-year-old center has posted identical numbers in his two full seasons with the Bulls, averaging 17.6 points and 11.0 rebounds per game in both campaigns. The team went an underwhelming 40-42 last season and may be considering a trade of one of their star players, so they will presumably be looking to Vucevic as an anchor regardless of what their roster looks like at the start of the season.
