Nikola Vučević is at the end of his four-year, $100 million contract the Bulls picked up when they traded Wendell Carter, Otto Porter Jr., and two first-round picks to the Orlando Magic at the 2021 trade deadline to acquire him.
The Bulls are at a crucial point in their organizational timeline, as their starting big man could be on the move. To what degree would a Vučević departure hurt them? The Bulls finished two games under .500 and the playoffs by way of losing their final play-in game to the Miami Heat.
Vučević, despite some inconsistencies on both sides of the ball, is a rather important asset for the Bulls. If you've watched any Bulls games on NBC Sports Chicago this season, you know how much Stacey King and the pre/postgame crew preach running the offense through Vučević in the paint. That's not for no reason.
When asked about his perspective on his upcoming free agency, he answered candidly about his time spent with the Bulls thus far and the possibility of him staying in Chicago.
"It’s obviously hard to talk about it now. For me, the Bulls will have priority," Vučević said. "I would like to stay here. But that’s on the front office to decide and work with my agent on the contract part. And also I’ll talk to them about their vision and plan and things like that. That’s as much as I can say.
"Obviously, I’ll be a free agent. I’ll see what else is out there and test the market. But I’ve been here for 21/2 years now. I like my time here and built good relationships with my teammates, coaches, front office, people in the organization and around the city. So a lot of positives here. But we’ll see what their plan is and what they decide to do."
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Certainly, the big man brings invaluable traits to any team he plays for. Taking an early peek at the free agency market for centers, Vučević will be at the top of the list and likely on the radars of many teams looking for a center. Along with Vučević, Brook Lopez, Jakob Poeltl and Christian Wood are all also unrestricted free agents this summer.
Vučević had arguably his best season with the Bulls to date, considering his first partial season with the Bulls didn't include the likes of DeMar DeRozan, Lonzo Ball and Alex Caruso.
He's had to navigate his fit on both ends of the ball. In the end, he flexed his durability – as seen by the 82 games he played this season – and his aptness for being a double-double machine. He finished third in the NBA in double-doubles, acting as one of the most efficient rebounders and a high-level mid-range and post scorer in the game.
For that, Artūras Karnišovas reiterated his and the Bulls' intent to sign him to an extension.
"(Vucevic) has been awesome for us," Karnišovas said. "He’s been available in all 82 games. He’s been our iron man together with Patrick Williams. He's a double-double machine as a top-three player in double-doubles this year. So he's a huge part of this team. We hope to retain him."
The Bulls will have to compromise with Vučević on a contract dollar before popping the champagne. According to NBC Sports Chicago's K.C. Johnson, the Bulls will almost certainly play as an over-the-cap team in the summer, whether or not they re-sign Vučević.
Keeping checks and balances is important. Johnson suggested the possibility of a three-year, $66 million extension to get the deal done. Will that be enough for Vučević to stay? And do the Bulls value him enough to keep him around on that hypothetical number?
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Vučević is not chasing the money. His decision in free agency will come down to a checklist of items.
"It’s a mix of things," Vučević said. "It’s definitely not just I want the most money and I’ll do whatever or go wherever just for the most money. It’s a mix of things, especially at this point in my career. I want a good fit for me as a player, a chance to win and a good fit for my family.
"My wife and I have a third kid coming in June. All of that goes into it. It’s not only fully my decision. I also talk to my family about it. It’s a mix of things. It’s definitely not just I want all the money and the rest doesn’t matter. That’s not who I am as a player."