Bulls to finally start rebuilding with Nikola Vučević Trade Amid NBA Rumors | News, results, highlights, stats and rumours

The Chicago Bulls are in the middle of another decidedly “middle” season and despite the front office’s best efforts, they have found no replacements for star forward Zach LaVine and center Nikola Vučević, per Tim Bontemps by ESPN.

Maybe it has something to do with the NBA insider who was selected in the first round Marc Stein reported that the team desires in return for Vučević.

Vučević is having one of the best years of his career with 21 points, 9.8 rebounds and 3.2 assists while shooting 58.7 percent from the floor and 47.4 percent from beyond the arc.

His age (34) and his struggles on defense do not reflect a player that teams will be willing to casually throw a first-round draft pick at.

The team is trying to regain draft picks it didn’t get in the trade for Alex Caruso to Oklahoma City.

In the process, it prevents itself from dealing a player it wants to trade, and more importantly, delays the inevitable rebuild the team should have started a season ago.

LaVine was always going to be tough to trade, thanks to his history with knee problems and a contract worth nearly $90 million between now and the end of next season.

But the team could still start its latest attempt at a rebuild by sending Vučević out and getting what they can back for a veteran player who is performing at as high a level as he ever has.

However, they should be smart about it and not put a king’s ransom on him in an attempt to fix another bad trade by its front office.

The Los Angeles Lakers need a center. They would probably be happy to take Vučević for the right price. That price in no way equates to a first-round draft pick.