Like everything else regarding Vuc to the Bulls, this is an overpayment.
Even on a good deal (which would be like 60% of this one), it'd be unpleasant because Vuc is one of the worst defenders in the league at the most defensively important position.
The only people who think this is a good idea are the ones who still think counting stats are what matters.
The Bulls are capped out with no good way to sign a replacement, so it makes sense they would seek to retain the player.
More importantly, if they were to let him go for nothing, they would lose the salary slot in a potential trade down the line.
While we may quibble over the dollar amount of the contract, it is not our money and doesnt really affect any of the flexibility of the team for this season. If anything, it puts them in a better position to trade for AD when the Lakers need the next big shake up for Lebron's year 40 season...
And they gave QOs to the other guys (including Terry Taylor!), so....AK's summer is pretty much done. I hope the Illini are decent this year because I don't foresee being able to tolerate watching the same Bulls roster flop around for the 3rd year in a row. It's not fun Jerry!
This doesn't move the needle for me in either direction. It's definitely not a stellar move, but I'm ok with this because I've seen enough solid arguments that Vuc provides more value than most people think.
Just because it's an expected move and isn't earth shaking isn't enough to make me hate it. I'd have preferred some creativity, but if we can get a good PG, I think Vuc will look much better at this price.
For anyone keeping track, I'm sitting at 94% disillusioned/6% hopeful.
Look, I was never a fan of the Vuc trade because, contrary to YFBB and some others, I thought the Bulls trying to make the playoffs in 2020-2021 was dumb. The Vuc trade was an overpayment but it should never have been made to begin with. The Bulls handicapped the last rebuild by doing that but the trade itself was the biggest handicap.
That being said, I like Vuc. Definitely an overpayment here but not like...egregiously so. FMV is probably 2 for $30-32M or 3 for $42-45M. $5M per year isn't THAT terrible.
This painting of Vuc that this is an albatross contract and he's terrible is super overboard. He had a 19.1 PER last year, good for #51st best in the league. 3.2 VORP was good for 26th best. I am not saying he IS that good but people seem to be ignoring he's an actual solid player who has been durable. That's going to change, sure, but...
Let's all be real. This team is likely going full teardown and full rebuild after this next season, if not by the deadline. You can lament the 3 years here but there is a salary floor with the NBA. DDR isn't staying and LaVine is getting dealt in the next 12 months. Are we going to care about Vuc's contract when this team becomes one of the league's worst? No. So yeah, $20M for age 35 and 36 Vuc isn't great but it isn't going to hinder anything because the Bulls are going to have plenty of cap space the next few years.
This next rebuild probably takes a minimum of 4 years. I actually do think this team with a starting quality bigger wing could be fun. I'm not the kind of guy who thinks the Bulls could have gotten past the Bucks. But if they actually get some shooting that is bigger than 6'6 and a decent backup center, I think a fun run is possible and that is better than trading DDR for like a young player on a big contract who isn't going to be here in 5 years and a back end 1st to "energize" the 4-7 year rebuild. LaVine's trade value is already low as we have seen so no big miss trading him now. Caruso will still be probably just as valuable by the deadline if this team isn't playoff bound. I'm not worried one more run adds an extra year or two to a rebuild. It's gonna be a long one y'all.
It’s objectively funny that this was announced on the same day that the Blackhawks, the team they share a building with, drafted a generational prospect.
It’s like deciding that the day that your sibling gets their acceptance letter to Harvard is the right time to tell your family that you’ve decided to buy a goldfish.
Is there anyone outside of us diehard Bulls fans that’s even going to watch a full game next season? I mean, why would they? Does the front office think the city is going to be sitting on the edge of their seats, waiting to find out if the team can achieve their goal of 41 wins?
The apathy might severely set in this year. To me, that’s what a Vuc contract extension represents: apathy.
Do the Bulls now have to pivot to trading Derozan? I generally think the "trade Derozan to open up shots for X guys are idiots" but I also can't physically watch the Bulls roll out the mid 3 and lie and say their competitive. I need a move for the future of the franchise. Not more time wasting.
I really do hope AK has the old "Green Light" to go into the luxury tax. Because my belief is AK is just bad, and he's delusional. So he might well talk himself into going into the tax for this pretender.
Because the "Green Light" if it exists, probably means Reinsdorf will let AK go into the tax if AK believes it'll produce a contender. But when it doesn't and the end result is that AK incurs a giant bill for a 43 win first round exit, it's gonna be a big strike against him in Reinsdorf's book.
This is almost certainly an overpay. It's hard to say yet just how bad this extension is exactly, given that the summer hasn't played out yet. However, if this is indeed it in terms of summer moves, then I agree with all the negative posts on this thread. This would be another obvious punt by the front office, since this roster as currently constructed has perhaps the most clearly defined mediocre ceiling in the entire league.
Let me propose the following S&T's as alternatives to just keeping Vuc. I am assuming 3 years 50 as no one else would pay the Bulls rate.
1. Vuc for Nurkic in exchange for dropping Portland's pick protections (assuming they are keeping Dame).
2. Vuc for John Collins (we get younger, they get more professional).
3. Vuc for Zubac and Bones.
There had to be something out there where we replaced a lot of his production and a team with an actual shot at winning got a rotation player with a diverse skill set.
Nikola Vucevic received a too-rich contract extension, as Bulls follow-through on threats to gut-punch fanbase
NEW POST
https://open.substack.com/pub/blogabull/p/the-blogabull-2023-free-agency-preview?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android&r=2bo
Like everything else regarding Vuc to the Bulls, this is an overpayment.
Even on a good deal (which would be like 60% of this one), it'd be unpleasant because Vuc is one of the worst defenders in the league at the most defensively important position.
The only people who think this is a good idea are the ones who still think counting stats are what matters.
Well.. shit!
Now, please retire Stacey King. I'm not sure I can take another (wasted) year of "it's a simple game".
What an absolute gut-punch indeed.
The Bulls are capped out with no good way to sign a replacement, so it makes sense they would seek to retain the player.
More importantly, if they were to let him go for nothing, they would lose the salary slot in a potential trade down the line.
While we may quibble over the dollar amount of the contract, it is not our money and doesnt really affect any of the flexibility of the team for this season. If anything, it puts them in a better position to trade for AD when the Lakers need the next big shake up for Lebron's year 40 season...
And they gave QOs to the other guys (including Terry Taylor!), so....AK's summer is pretty much done. I hope the Illini are decent this year because I don't foresee being able to tolerate watching the same Bulls roster flop around for the 3rd year in a row. It's not fun Jerry!
I'm tired, boss.
Go into the luxury tax, cowards
How quickly do you have to trade for it to be a S&T vs a wait 6mo be traded? Maybe AKME is still working on the T part??? Smh
This doesn't move the needle for me in either direction. It's definitely not a stellar move, but I'm ok with this because I've seen enough solid arguments that Vuc provides more value than most people think.
Just because it's an expected move and isn't earth shaking isn't enough to make me hate it. I'd have preferred some creativity, but if we can get a good PG, I think Vuc will look much better at this price.
For anyone keeping track, I'm sitting at 94% disillusioned/6% hopeful.
Look, I was never a fan of the Vuc trade because, contrary to YFBB and some others, I thought the Bulls trying to make the playoffs in 2020-2021 was dumb. The Vuc trade was an overpayment but it should never have been made to begin with. The Bulls handicapped the last rebuild by doing that but the trade itself was the biggest handicap.
That being said, I like Vuc. Definitely an overpayment here but not like...egregiously so. FMV is probably 2 for $30-32M or 3 for $42-45M. $5M per year isn't THAT terrible.
This painting of Vuc that this is an albatross contract and he's terrible is super overboard. He had a 19.1 PER last year, good for #51st best in the league. 3.2 VORP was good for 26th best. I am not saying he IS that good but people seem to be ignoring he's an actual solid player who has been durable. That's going to change, sure, but...
Let's all be real. This team is likely going full teardown and full rebuild after this next season, if not by the deadline. You can lament the 3 years here but there is a salary floor with the NBA. DDR isn't staying and LaVine is getting dealt in the next 12 months. Are we going to care about Vuc's contract when this team becomes one of the league's worst? No. So yeah, $20M for age 35 and 36 Vuc isn't great but it isn't going to hinder anything because the Bulls are going to have plenty of cap space the next few years.
This next rebuild probably takes a minimum of 4 years. I actually do think this team with a starting quality bigger wing could be fun. I'm not the kind of guy who thinks the Bulls could have gotten past the Bucks. But if they actually get some shooting that is bigger than 6'6 and a decent backup center, I think a fun run is possible and that is better than trading DDR for like a young player on a big contract who isn't going to be here in 5 years and a back end 1st to "energize" the 4-7 year rebuild. LaVine's trade value is already low as we have seen so no big miss trading him now. Caruso will still be probably just as valuable by the deadline if this team isn't playoff bound. I'm not worried one more run adds an extra year or two to a rebuild. It's gonna be a long one y'all.
It’s objectively funny that this was announced on the same day that the Blackhawks, the team they share a building with, drafted a generational prospect.
It’s like deciding that the day that your sibling gets their acceptance letter to Harvard is the right time to tell your family that you’ve decided to buy a goldfish.
Is there anyone outside of us diehard Bulls fans that’s even going to watch a full game next season? I mean, why would they? Does the front office think the city is going to be sitting on the edge of their seats, waiting to find out if the team can achieve their goal of 41 wins?
The apathy might severely set in this year. To me, that’s what a Vuc contract extension represents: apathy.
Do the Bulls now have to pivot to trading Derozan? I generally think the "trade Derozan to open up shots for X guys are idiots" but I also can't physically watch the Bulls roll out the mid 3 and lie and say their competitive. I need a move for the future of the franchise. Not more time wasting.
I consider this to be just another step in the 2025-2026 tank plan.
I really do hope AK has the old "Green Light" to go into the luxury tax. Because my belief is AK is just bad, and he's delusional. So he might well talk himself into going into the tax for this pretender.
Because the "Green Light" if it exists, probably means Reinsdorf will let AK go into the tax if AK believes it'll produce a contender. But when it doesn't and the end result is that AK incurs a giant bill for a 43 win first round exit, it's gonna be a big strike against him in Reinsdorf's book.
This is almost certainly an overpay. It's hard to say yet just how bad this extension is exactly, given that the summer hasn't played out yet. However, if this is indeed it in terms of summer moves, then I agree with all the negative posts on this thread. This would be another obvious punt by the front office, since this roster as currently constructed has perhaps the most clearly defined mediocre ceiling in the entire league.
Let me propose the following S&T's as alternatives to just keeping Vuc. I am assuming 3 years 50 as no one else would pay the Bulls rate.
1. Vuc for Nurkic in exchange for dropping Portland's pick protections (assuming they are keeping Dame).
2. Vuc for John Collins (we get younger, they get more professional).
3. Vuc for Zubac and Bones.
There had to be something out there where we replaced a lot of his production and a team with an actual shot at winning got a rotation player with a diverse skill set.