The Chicago Bulls have entered a rebuilding period after losing one of their stars, DeMar DeRozan to free agency and signaling they are open to moving another star wing. The Bulls shouldn’t stop there, though. They have another valuable player who they should consider trading. This additional move would complete the teardown of the current Bulls roster and restock the cupboard for the front office to begin building the next iteration. So, here's what the perfect Nikola Vucevic trade would look like with the Memphis Grizzlies.
The Bulls are in a transition period
The Bulls dealt DeRozan to the Sacramento Kings in a sign-and-trade this summer, and there is strong speculation that the team will also deal Zach LaVine in an attempt to reboot and start developing their next championship-caliber core.
If the team is indeed planning to tear it all down and rebuild, Nikola Vucevic makes sense as a third player who could be in a trade to help rebuild the team’s pipeline of young talent and draft assets.
Chicago added Jalen Smith, who could be in line for increased responsibilities if the team moves on from Vucevic. Smith has primarily played in a reserve role to this point in his career, but he's a talented young big man who could improve with increased minutes.
Vucevic played in 76 games this past season and averaged a double-double, with nearly 20 points per game to go along with 10.5 boards.
The Nikola Vucevic trade
Bulls receive: Brandon Clarke, Derrick Rose, a 2026 first-round pick
Grizzlies receive: Nikola Vucevic
If Memphis agrees to this deal, Chicago should jump at the opportunity and sprint to accept it. This is likely the best return the Bulls can reasonably expect for Vucevic, while Memphis is committed to winning around their core led by Ja Morant. This deal might be a slight overpay, but it would give them a real opportunity to compete.
Why the Grizzlies do this
The Grizzlies do this deal for a simple reason: Nikola Vucevic is a better player than Clarke is at this moment, and the team’s time to compete is now. It’s so rare to acquire a superstar of Morant’s caliber, and the team’s front office must do everything in its collective power to strike, while the iron is hot and surround Morant with a core that can make a legitimate run at the NBA finals.
Morant and Jackson Jr. form a dynamic duo, but more is needed in today’s NBA to be considered legitimate championship contenders.
In Vucevic, the team would be acquiring a third 20-point-per-game scorer who can score efficiently and pull down rebounds at both ends. Derrick Rose is still an exciting player to watch, but he’s unfortunately nowhere near what he was in his prime. The team would have to send Rose back in any deal for salary-matching purposes unless they would prefer to give up multiple contributors. It makes more sense to let Rose go and keep as much of the roster together as possible.
Chicago is also one of the few places that Rose would likely be happy to be traded to. He grew up in Englewood and became a superstar with his hometown team. Yes, Rose's exit from the Bulls was marked by controversy, but that front office is largely gone and Chicago is still the city in which he was born and raised.
With Vucevic in tow, Memphis would have a young trio that could contend for the next three to five years. Vucevic would be the oldest player of the trio at 33 years old, while Jackson Jr. and Morant haven’t even turned 25.
Nikola Vucevic and Jaren Jackson Jr. would form a lethal frontcourt in Memphis
Together, Jackson Jr. and Vucevic would provide an incredible combination of height and athleticism in the frontcourt that very few teams throughout the Association would be capable of matching. This duo would dominate opposing frontcourts not only in the paint but also on the perimeter.
That is where they would do the most damage. It takes a special type of defender to be able to hang with a scorer on the perimeter and battle in the paint with them as well.
If the defender isn’t strong enough, he’ll just find himself getting bullied into the paint and inevitably giving up a layup or dunk. On the other hand, most defensive players with the strength to hold their own near the paint don’t have the athleticism required to stick with guys on the perimeter. Vucevic has both and while Jackson Jr. might not be the strongest player, he can use his length and athleticism to recover and disrupt shots.
Why the Bulls do this trade
This is the best return Chicago can realistically expect. The Bulls get an intriguing young player in this deal along with a future first-round draft pick and the feel-good story of a hometown kid and former MVP coming back to the city he grew up in at the end of his career.
Brandon Clarke is young enough to be part of the team's core for the next half-decade or longer, and he has the upside to develop into a potential cornerstone. The team can use Memphis' first-rounder to select a young, talented and cost-controlled player. While it is unlikely this will be a lottery pick, it's another asset the Bulls could package with other picks to move up for a player they really like.
This trade works for both teams
This is a perfect deal for both teams. Neither team will be blown away, but both teams should be satisfied with their offer. A deal where nobody feels like they got fleeced but everybody can find something to be happy about signifies the perfect trade.
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