This year, Nikola Vucevic has been under a microscope. He is in the midst of his final contractual year with the Chicago Bulls, surrounded by trade rumors.
Without question, Vucevic is getting exhausted by so much at one time, per Julia Poe of The Chicago Tribune. The Bulls are a losing team, Vucevic hasn't been a defensive force, and is tired of all the trade rumors.
Nevertheless, Vucevic is wondering why he is in the Windy City.
“It’s not always easy, to be honest with you, when the team is struggling, when you are struggling, when things are not going your way,” he said. “It’s happened a couple times now and sometimes it’s hard. Those questions do creep into your mind and you think about it and you get caught into it, especially when things are not going well. I think it’s natural, it’s human nature, but you just have to find a way to limit it as much as possible.”
On Sunday, the Bulls lost to the New Orleans Pelicans 114-104. Vucevic finished with 12 points and eight rebounds. This year, Vucevic hasn't held back in his criticisms of the team's performance, even in victory.
At the same time, he tries his darnest not fixate on trade rumors.
“I’m not going to sit here and be like, ‘Nah, it’s not happened to me.’ It has,” Vucevic said. “You get frustrated, and you shut down. But you try to regroup and find a way to stay locked in because we all have a part in this.”
A complete assessment of Nikola Vucevic's time with the Bulls
In 2021, the Bulls acquired Vucevic in a trade with the Orlando Magic. Two years later, he signed a three-year $60 million extension with Chicago.
Vucevic, 35, has averaged 18.2 points per game over the course of six seasons in Chicago. This year, he is averaging 15.6 points and 9.4 rebounds per game.
However, his major weakness has been his defensive play. Something that doesn't go unnoticed by head coach Billy Donovan.
“He has not been a great rim protector,” Donovan said. “He’s tried to play his verticals, but he’s not a shot blocker. He’s not a rim protector. It’s not who he is. In order for him to be productive in pick and roll, it’s a partnership between him and the guard.”
The Bulls will play the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday.
