The Los Angeles Lakers will have to look elsewhere for frontcourt help. A veteran big man once rumored as a possible buyout target has officially taken himself off the market, eliminating the chance for the Lakers to bolster their rotation with an experienced, floor-stretching center.
The Chicago Bulls’ two-time All-Star Nikola Vučević confirmed earlier this month that talk of a buyout was unfounded. According to him, general manager Marc Eversley personally reached out to reaffirm the team’s commitment, insisting he will remain in Chicago heading into the final year of his deal.
“A week ago, the Bulls general manager contacted me after all the rumors about me and confirmed that none of it was true,” the veteran center told BasketUSA.com on Aug. 4. “I knew that, but it’s always nice when your GM calls you to tell you.”
Buyout Rumors
The speculation didn’t come out of thin air.
The 34-year-old center has been candid about his desire to compete for championships at this stage of his career. In April, during his season-ending media availability, Vučević noted that Chicago had “some good, young pieces that can be built around,” but also admitted time is not on his side.
“I’m at the stage in my career where I’m trying to win now, play in the playoffs and hopefully have deep playoff runs,” Vučević said at the time.
With the Bulls exiting in the play-in tournament for a third straight year, it was natural to connect the dots. Rumors swirled that if the front office couldn’t find a trade partner, a buyout might eventually be on the table—a scenario that would have put the Lakers in a prime position to pounce.
A Missed Opportunity for L.A.
The Lakers’ interest would have made plenty of sense. Despite signing Deandre Ayton earlier this summer, concerns remain about the team’s depth at the five. As ESPN’s Dave McMenamin recently noted, “Until proved otherwise, L.A. is soft in the middle.”
That’s why the veteran’s skill set appeared so intriguing. Averaging 18.5 points and 10.5 rebounds last season while shooting over 40 percent from three, he fits the modern prototype of a stretch-center who could thrive in a secondary role behind Ayton. For a team built around LeBron James and Luka Dončić, his ability to rebound, set screens, and knock down perimeter shots would have been an ideal complement.
Getty Luka Doncic of the Los Angeles Lakers and Nikola Vucevic of the Chicago Bulls interact before the game at Crypto.com Arena.
Adding another wrinkle is his agency connection. He shares the same agent, Bill Duffy of WME Sports, as Dončić and Ayton. That pipeline factored heavily in Ayton’s eventual landing in Los Angeles after his buyout with Portland. It wasn’t far-fetched to think a similar path could unfold here.
Shutting Down the Chatter
Instead, the big man doubled down on his Bulls commitment, stating he expects to begin training camp in Chicago.
“Yes, I have almost no doubt about it,” he said. “That’s the mindset I’m preparing with. Afterwards, we’ll see, I don’t know what’s going to happen.”
He was also quick to dismiss the overseas reports that first fanned the flames. “There are always rumors. Most of them are false. It’s a bit of nonsense. For example, the buyout rumor was misinterpreted in Europe … Since I can’t control anything, I try not to worry.”
While the rumors may be dead for now, his ambition remains unchanged.
“I’d like to try to play for a team that has ambitions to win the NBA title,” he told BasketUSA.com.
For the Lakers, the door is closed this summer. But if circumstances shift in Chicago midseason, this storyline could resurface quickly—especially for a Los Angeles team that knows how crucial size and shooting are when the playoffs roll around.
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