Bulls Rumors: Nikola Vučević, CHI Begin Contract Extension Talks Ahead of Free Agency

Nikola Vučević is scheduled for free agency this offseason, but the big man's time with the Chicago Bulls may not be over.

"Sources tell me that the Bulls and Nikola Vučević have opened up extension conversations," Shams Charania of Stadium reported Tuesday. "There's mutual interest in getting a deal done. He can sign an extension up until June 30. If there's no agreement by that point, Vučević will be entering free agency and be one of the top centers on the marketplace."

Chicago traded for the two-time All-Star during the 2020-21 season and then added DeMar DeRozan the following offseason. It seemed like the team was attempting to build a Big Three of sorts with DeRozan, Vučević and Zach LaVine, and it worked for some time during the 2021-22 campaign.

The Bulls were the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference for a stretch and seemed to have a contender in place with role players such as Lonzo Ball and Alex Caruso around that trio.

Yet they never recovered from a knee injury to Ball that also sidelined the point guard throughout the 2022-23 season. Chicago fell to the No. 6 seed in the Eastern Conference and lost in the first round to the Milwaukee Bucks.

Then it lost in the play-in tournament this season and likely needs some changes if it is going to realistically contend in the East in 2023-24.

That is what makes the reported momentum toward re-signing Vučević somewhat surprising.

Yes, he is a double-double threat who has averaged 18.2 points and 11.1 rebounds per game during his tenure with the Bulls. However, he will also be 33 years old next season, is far from an elite rim protector down low and was part of a core that has failed to find any postseason success to this point.

Moving on from him would, in theory, allow the front office to explore other ways to improve the team instead of potentially running things back with lingering questions about when—and if—Ball will be back on the court.