Over the past few years, Chicago Bulls big man Nikola Vucevic has seen his name regularly pop up in trade rumors. Given their current youth movement and him being on an expiring contract, it seems more likely that the former All-Star will be moved. In a recent framework that's surfaced, the Bulls part with the veteran center to take a flier on a pair of young talents.
The Bulls first acquired Vucevic back in 2021 in a trade with the Orlando Magic. As an All-Star-level talent, he was viewed as someone who could help Chicago compete alongside Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan. Now that the roster is centered around young talent, he no longer fits the organization's timeline.
Bulls receive - Josh Green, Nick Smith Jr., 2028 second-round pick, 2031 second-round pick
Hornets receive - Nikola Vucevic
Green, a former first-round pick, has developed into a reliable three-and-D talent on the wing. Last season with the Charlotte Hornets, he averaged 7.4 PPG and 2.5 RPG while shooting 39.1% from beyond the arc. With his mix of athleticism and shooting, Green is someone who could be a strong complementary piece to the Bulls' core.
As for Smith, he saw his production saw a nice uptick in year two. Primarily coming off the bench, the 21-year-old averaged 9.9 PPG and 2.4 APG. With the future of Josh Giddey still up in the air, bringing in a point guard who has shown some promise could make sense for Chicago.
Seeing that a market hasn't really formed for Vucevic, this is a respectable return for the Bulls.
They acquire some draft capital and bring in two players who could be rotation players for them right away. If an offer like this did actually come about, it'd be worth strongly considering from the Bulls' side.