A month ago, Chicago Bulls center Nikola Vucevic decided to retire from the Eurobasket tournament. This time around, he is in the final year of his three-year $60 million contract with the Bulls.
As a result, his future in basketball remains unknown. Vucevic, 34, ultimately said the decision to step away from international basketball was a personal one, per Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times.
‘‘The biggest impact on that was my family, my kids, my wife,’’ Vucevic said. ‘‘It takes a lot out of my summers. You’ve got training camp for a month, the competition, the preparation for it, so I just felt like it was the right moment to do it. I wanted to finish my national-team competition on a high. That was it.’’
During the Bulls Media Day on Monday, Vucevic maintained ‘I still feel very young, actually”. Hinting that he isn't done yet.
All the while, the Bulls' veteran center is being swarmed by rumors of a possible trade. After Vucevic's performance in the final EuroBasket, Chicago coach Billy Donovan said that He remains a consistent presence and has no real concerns about his readiness.
‘‘He actually played for the national team, and I think he was one of the leaders during the tournament in terms of minutes played,’’ Donovan said. ‘‘I know he led Montenegro in minutes played, so he showed the propensity and endurance to do that. I think the other thing is — and credit to him because I’ve always talked to him about this — he keeps himself in great shape, he takes care of his body.”
‘‘I’m not going into the season saying, ‘Hey, we’ve got to drop Vooch down to here [in playing time].’ What we’ve got to be able to do is give every player the opportunity. I think Vooch has proven over his career that he’s come [into a season] ready.’’
Last season, Vucevic averaged 18.5 points, 10.1 rebounds, and 3.5 assists per game. He also played in 73 games and shot 50% from the field.
What does the future hold for the Bulls' remaining veteran?
After the conclusion of this season, Vucevic next phase is up in the air. Given that the Bulls are looking to developing its younger players, they will see how Vucevic is able to maintain the same level of consistency.
Nevertheless, Vucevic said that he has been in contact with management and is prepared for whatever comes next.
‘‘I had good communication with the front office throughout the summer,’’ Vucevic said. ‘‘As you guys all know, there were many rumors, different kinds. I always say it’s part of the job I’m in, we’re all in, and it comes with the territory. If a trade would have happened, it would have happened. It didn’t, and I’m glad to be here.”
‘‘I didn’t pay too much attention. Maybe before the draft [in June] because that’s when I thought maybe something could happen, but overall I tried to focus on the offseason, my family and the international stuff.
‘‘It’s something that’s out of my control, so I didn’t pay attention to it too much.’’
Vucevic has played 14 years in the NBA. Since 2011, he has played for the Philadelphia 76ers and the Orlando Magic. He has been with Chicago since 2020.
