NBA Notes: Bulls, Nikola Vucevic, Cavs, Dean Wade, Pacers

Bulls

Bulls center Nikola Vucevic knows the math. Expiring contracts. Deadline buzz. Uncertainty everywhere. Still, he is not campaigning for a teardown.

Per Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times, Vucevic said he likes this group and would welcome the chance to ride it out.

“There are a lot of guys that have a chip on their shoulders and want to prove people wrong because we’ve been doubted,” Vucevic said. “I would like to see what we can do and where we can go this year, but the front office has to make decisions and we all understand that.”

Chicago has options. Move vets. Stay the course. Thread the needle. Vucevic sounds like someone who would rather compete than be flipped for future assets. Whether the Bulls agree is another question.

Cavaliers

Cavs forward Dean Wade keeps doing Dean Wade things. Quietly. Effectively. Winning minutes.

Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com describes Wade as “unheralded and overlooked,” and the Cavs internally see him as far more than a role player.

“He’s the ultimate glue guy,” coach Kenny Atkinson said. “That’s the cliché everyone uses, but it’s true.”

Wade is extension-eligible through June 30. If no deal gets done, he heads toward unrestricted free agency. In the meantime, he remains one of Cleveland’s most important connectors on both ends.

Pacers

Big man Jarace Walker is building momentum at the right time. Extension eligibility looms this summer. His play is trending up.

After a career night in Oklahoma City, Rick Carlisle did not undersell it.

“This is an enormous moment for him in his young career,” Carlisle said, via Dustin Dopirak of the Indy Star. “He just showed all the things that he can do out there. From the shooting to the driving to the defense to the rebounding to passing. It was great to see that.”

Indiana is watching closely. Walker looks like he is starting to turn potential into leverage.