For a brief moment, it looked like the Golden State Warriors had their eyes set on Nikola Vučević as a possible solution to their frontcourt depth problem. That door is now closed.
The Chicago Bulls’ two-time All-Star center recently shut down speculation about a potential buyout, confirming he’ll remain in Chicago heading into the final year of his deal. Speaking to BasketUSA.com on Aug. 4, Vučević revealed that Bulls general manager Marc Eversley personally contacted him to put the rumors to rest.
“A week ago, the Bulls general manager, who contacted me after all the rumors about me, confirmed that none of it was true and that everything we said after the season was still relevant,” Vučević said. “I knew that, but it’s always nice when your GM contacts you to tell you.”
Why the Rumors Started
The 34-year-old big man has been open about his desire to win at this stage of his career. Back in April, during his exit interview, Vučević acknowledged that Chicago’s roster features intriguing young pieces but admitted time is not on his side.
“There are some good, young pieces that can be built around,” Vučević said at the time. “There are a lot of questions when you’re a team not fighting for the top. I have trust in them and believe they want to do what’s best and build a good team that wants to win.
“So we’ll see. Obviously, 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.”
Those comments, paired with the Bulls’ third straight exit in the play-in tournament, fueled the idea that he could ask out—or that Chicago might eventually explore a buyout. That naturally piqued the interest of contenders like the Warriors, who had sniffed around him before.
Warriors’ Trade Interest
Golden State did explore the idea of trading for Vučević back in February. He was among the players they considered when scouring the market for frontcourt help.
Ultimately, the Warriors struck bigger, completing a blockbuster trade for Jimmy Butler instead. That ended any immediate pursuit of Vučević, though his name lingered as a potential fallback option if he ever hit the buyout market.
With Vučević averaging a double-double (18.5 points and 10.5 rebounds) and offering a floor-spacing dimension (40.2% from 3-point line) at center, he looked like the kind of player who could help extend the Warriors’ title window. For a team still heavily dependent on Stephen Curry and trying to balance youth with veteran experience, Vučević’s inside-out game was intriguing.
But Eversley’s recent call shut down that possibility.
‘I’m Preparing to Stay’
“Yes, I have almost no doubt about it,” Vučević said when asked if he expected to begin the season in Chicago. “That’s the mindset I’m preparing with. Afterwards, we’ll see, I don’t know what’s going to happen.”
He also dismissed the buyout chatter as a matter of misinterpretation.
“There are always rumors. Most of them are false. It’s a bit of nonsense. For example, the buyout rumor was misinterpreted in Europe: the journalist wrote that if there was no trade during the season, there might be a buyout option before the deadline.”
Vučević said he doesn’t waste energy on speculation, adding: “Since I can’t control anything, I try not to worry.”
What It Means for the Warriors
Getty Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors is guarded by Al Horford.
For the Warriors, the Vučević door is closed for now. Instead, they are expected to finalize a deal with 39-year-old Al Horford once the Jonathan Kuminga contract stalemate is resolved.
Horford may not provide Vučević’s rebounding or scoring punch, but his championship pedigree and ability to anchor a defense fit what Golden State is looking for.
As for Vučević, his desire to win hasn’t changed, even if his location hasn’t either.
“I’d like to try to play for a team that has ambitions to win the NBA title,” he told BasketUSA.com. “In Europe, it’s easier to join a big team, but in the NBA, it’s complicated because of the rules and trades.”
If Chicago fails to break free from mediocrity this season, his name could resurface in trade rumors. But for now, the Warriors will have to move on knowing that a potential low-cost addition who checked a lot of boxes is officially off the board.
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