Bulls’ Nikola Vucevic Wants To Play 4 More Years In NBA

Chicago Bulls big man Nikola Vucevic wants to play four more years in the NBA. 

Vucevic spoke about his NBA future at Goran Dragic‘s farewell game in Slovenia.

“I’m aware that I’ve been in the NBA for 13 years now, that the end is not that far off,” Vucevic said, via EuroHoops.net. “I don’t believe I’ll play another 13 years, but I have two more years with Chicago, and I’d like to play two more after that. I think I can play at a high level for that long, and then I’ll see.

“I don’t think much about it now. I feel great. I enjoy the game, and my sons are becoming a bigger motivation; they’re a little older now and aware of what I do, and they come to practices and games. I’d like them to remember that I played basketball at a high level. I’d like people to remember me for who I was, not just see me off.”

Vucevic will make $20 million in 2024-25. He averaged 18.0 points, 10.5 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 0.7 steals and 0.8 blocks last season for the Bulls while shooting 48.4% from the field, 29.4% from beyond the arc and 82.2% from the free-throw line.

The Bulls acquired Vucevic from the Orlando Magic in March 2021. The two-time All-Star has career averages of 17.1 points, 10.5 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 0.8 steals and 0.9 blocks with the Philadelphia 76ers, Magic and Bulls. He was the 16th overall pick in the 2011 NBA Draft out of USC. 

Chicago is in rebuild mode after trading DeMar DeRozan to the Sacramento Kings and Alex Caruso to the Oklahoma City Thunder.

The Bulls would like to trade Vucevic and Zach LaVine next, NBA sources told Hoops Wire. 

“DeRozan left, Caruso left, the team got younger, and they wanted to go in a different direction,” Vucevic said. “We’ll see how the season goes, and then decisions will be made based on that.”