Nikola Vučević Expects to Remain With Bulls, Eyes Final EuroBasket Run
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CHICAGO — Center Nikola Vučević said he is “almost certain” he will start the 2025-26 season with the Chicago Bulls, downplaying summer chatter about a possible trade or mid-season buyout.
Speaking to Basket USA in an interview published Aug. 19, the two-time All-Star explained that general manager Marc Eversley contacted him recently to dismiss speculation surrounding his future.
“There are always rumors,” Vučević said, noting that talk of a potential buyout was “misinterpreted” overseas. “In the final year of a contract there is always speculation, but I can’t control that.”
Quiet Market, Buyout Talk
Last month, Bleacher Report’s Jake Fischer told viewers there was “no real trade market” for the 34-year-old and suggested a buyout could become an option closer to the trade deadline if no deal materializes.
Chasing an NBA Title
Vučević, who averaged 18.4 points and 10.7 rebounds last season, said he was satisfied with his individual play but disappointed that Chicago was eliminated in the play-in tournament for a second straight year. “I’d like the chance to compete for a championship,” he said, adding that roster rules and trade mechanics make that pursuit “complicated” in the NBA.
Possible Farewell to Montenegro
The veteran believes the 2025 EuroBasket could be his final appearance for Montenegro in an international event. “The next major tournament is two years away. I’ll be 36, 37,” he said. “I want to focus on my NBA career and spend summers recovering and with my three children.”
Montenegro finished 13th in EuroBasket 2022 and faces Germany, Finland, Great Britain, Lithuania and Sweden in group play this year. Vučević called advancing to the round of 16 a “huge success” given injuries and absences but said the team still has “a small chance.”
Source: Hoops Rumors
