RealGM

Hornets trade Nurkic, #34 (worse of own or NOP 2nds), DEN 2026 2nd, GSW 2026 2nd
Bulls trade Vucevic

The Bulls get picks to swap expiring bigs. Decent rebuild move.

The Hornets start making moves towards a respectable team. A healthy frontcourt with Vucevic instead of Nurkic allows Diabate (a nice two-way find this year) to play, as he and Vuc actually pair skillsets rather nicely. Vuc can step in when Mark is out with injury/rest, and won't get absolutely killed like our typical backup Cs in the past. A stretch big who can pass a bit also pairs nicely with Bridges who sometimes struggles without spacing.

I think Nurkic + #34 is enough. Not sure why Charlotte does it though.

ReggiesKnicks wrote:I think Nurkic + #34 is enough. Not sure why Charlotte does it though.

dont think its enough. OP is reasonable

Godaddycurse wrote:

ReggiesKnicks wrote:I think Nurkic + #34 is enough. Not sure why Charlotte does it though.

dont think its enough. OP is reasonable

I have the difference between Nurkic and Vuc as 5-10 Million in value/production. To me that is worth a high 2nd.

You can quibble about 2 future 2nds but to me it could be made up with cash if Charlotte wanted to send that instead of 2nds. BTW both GSW and DEN 2nds are likely 45-60.

ReggiesKnicks wrote:

Godaddycurse wrote:

ReggiesKnicks wrote:I think Nurkic + #34 is enough. Not sure why Charlotte does it though.

dont think its enough. OP is reasonable

I have the difference between Nurkic and Vuc as 5-10 Million in value/production. To me that is worth a high 2nd.

You can quibble about 2 future 2nds but to me it could be made up with cash if Charlotte wanted to send that instead of 2nds. BTW both GSW and DEN 2nds are likely 45-60.

yeah they're not particularly high value 2nds... I'd say 80% of the value being brought here is the 34th pick, at least.

I just think Vuc is miles better fit for us than Nurkic, and is worth any reasonable amount of 2nds. We have way more 2nds than we can feasibly use over the next several years

ReggiesKnicks wrote:

Godaddycurse wrote:

ReggiesKnicks wrote:I think Nurkic + #34 is enough. Not sure why Charlotte does it though.

dont think its enough. OP is reasonable

I have the difference between Nurkic and Vuc as 5-10 Million in value/production. To me that is worth a high 2nd.

You can quibble about 2 future 2nds but to me it could be made up with cash if Charlotte wanted to send that instead of 2nds. BTW both GSW and DEN 2nds are likely 45-60.

probably clsoer to 10M difference considering Nurkic shouldn't get another contract while Vuc is playing at a starter level this year. 10M cost more than a high 2nd imo. so 1-2 more seconds is appropiate (or cash as you said)

I could get on board with this

Done.

Would take it in a heartbeat.

ReggiesKnicks wrote:

Godaddycurse wrote:

ReggiesKnicks wrote:I think Nurkic + #34 is enough. Not sure why Charlotte does it though.

dont think its enough. OP is reasonable

I have the difference between Nurkic and Vuc as 5-10 Million in value/production. To me that is worth a high 2nd.

You can quibble about 2 future 2nds but to me it could be made up with cash if Charlotte wanted to send that instead of 2nds. BTW both GSW and DEN 2nds are likely 45-60.

I have it as considerably more than that. Nurkic isn't the answer to any team's problems. He has no market on his current contract. If he were a free agent he'd get somewhere between the minimum and taxMLE. Calling him a second string center who can eat minutes in the regular season almost feels generous. He's really a situational backup on a team that needs rebounding help.

The Warriors were willing to offer something of value for Vuc before the Butler trade.

Yeah I'd do the OP too. Pretty good value for CHI.

Agree that 34 is likely enough if it ends up right there. Maaaaaaaaaybe another 2nd, but that seems pretty generous. When trades are legal again, it’ll be an early 2nd, $2m instant cap savings (covering that 34 salary), and expiring salary for Vucevic, which seems pretty fair?

jbk1234 wrote:

ReggiesKnicks wrote:

Godaddycurse wrote:
dont think its enough. OP is reasonable

I have the difference between Nurkic and Vuc as 5-10 Million in value/production. To me that is worth a high 2nd.

You can quibble about 2 future 2nds but to me it could be made up with cash if Charlotte wanted to send that instead of 2nds. BTW both GSW and DEN 2nds are likely 45-60.

I have it as considerably more than that. Nurkic isn't the answer to any team's problems. He has no market on his current contract. If he were a free agent he'd get somewhere between the minimum and taxMLE. Calling him a second string center who can eat minutes in the regular season almost feels generous. He's really a situational backup on a team that needs rebounding help.

The Warriors were willing to offer something of value for Vuc before the Butler trade.

I don't think Vuc is an answer easy, especially in his age 35 season. He is having a completely outlier season for his career, why would I expect that to continue next year?

Regarding the Warriors, the #34 pick is something. We don't know what the Warriors were willing to offer and you can't assume their offer included an asset more valuable than the #34 pick.

The Bulls like the #34 pick but to just make a lateral move on age and contract but down on offense they need those two picks that amount to G League guys at a minimum. Don't make the argument that a healthy CHA is taking a step up, claim Vucevic helps that for a year and then expect to check those boxes for free because the Bulls are organ donors. The Bulls are no longer desperate for a center to replace Vuc, they've got an expiring Zach Collins if they decide to start Jalen Smith and they have a slew of expiring guards to trade who could net someone less expensive than Nurkic. That in mind the Bulls don't really want $36M devoted to aging expiring centers.

ChettheJet wrote:The Bulls like the #34 pick but to just make a lateral move on age and contract but down on offense they need those two picks that amount to G League guys at a minimum. Don't make the argument that a healthy CHA is taking a step up, claim Vucevic helps that for a year and then expect to check those boxes for free because the Bulls are organ donors. The Bulls are no longer desperate for a center to replace Vuc, they've got an expiring Zach Collins if they decide to start Jalen Smith and they have a slew of expiring guards to trade who could net someone less expensive than Nurkic. That in mind the Bulls don't really want $36M devoted to aging expiring centers.

What? It’s clearly not for free, unless you think the 34 pick is nothing? If so, leave that to Charlotte and just take the 2 future 2nds? But, 34 and 2 2nds is pretty darned close to first round equivalent value, and Vucevic is clearly not worth immediate cash savings and a 1st.

ReggiesKnicks wrote:

jbk1234 wrote:

ReggiesKnicks wrote:
I have the difference between Nurkic and Vuc as 5-10 Million in value/production. To me that is worth a high 2nd.

You can quibble about 2 future 2nds but to me it could be made up with cash if Charlotte wanted to send that instead of 2nds. BTW both GSW and DEN 2nds are likely 45-60.

I have it as considerably more than that. Nurkic isn't the answer to any team's problems. He has no market on his current contract. If he were a free agent he'd get somewhere between the minimum and taxMLE. Calling him a second string center who can eat minutes in the regular season almost feels generous. He's really a situational backup on a team that needs rebounding help.

The Warriors were willing to offer something of value for Vuc before the Butler trade.

I don't think Vuc is an answer easy, especially in his age 35 season. He is having a completely outlier season for his career, why would I expect that to continue next year?

Regarding the Warriors, the #34 pick is something. We don't know what the Warriors were willing to offer and you can't assume their offer included an asset more valuable than the #34 pick.

Vuc provides rebounding and spacing. He's an easier guy to work into rotations for more teams. He's overpaid for that role, but on an expiring contract, that's an easy gamble to take. Nurkic is straight negative value even on an expiring contract. By all accounts, he's not a great locker room presence either. Next season could be his last in the NBA.

jbk1234 wrote:Vuc provides rebounding and spacing. He's an easier guy to work into rotations for more teams. He's overpaid for that role, but on an expiring contract, that's an easy gamble to take. Nurkic is straight negative value even on an expiring contract. By all accounts, he's not a great locker room presence either. Next season could be his last in the NBA.

from what little we've seen from Nurk so far, he's definitely a backup somewhere once he's on a cheap deal (~$5M or less). He's been a mess trying to score the ball (though some of that is the Charles Lee disease rubbing off on him, he's jacked up way too many 3s), but he's a massive body with passing and rebounding. That alone will keep you in the league. He's clearly multiple steps up from Mason Plumlee who I definitely thought would be out of the league soon after he was done here.

Not to say he'd have any value to Chicago and he's not being valued as such in this trade, but I do think they could potentially save money with a buyout this offseason if they wanted to go that route, instead of holding onto him as trade bait. I have no doubt, he'd fetch a minimum from a number of contenders, potentially more.

jbk1234 wrote:

ReggiesKnicks wrote:

jbk1234 wrote:
I have it as considerably more than that. Nurkic isn't the answer to any team's problems. He has no market on his current contract. If he were a free agent he'd get somewhere between the minimum and taxMLE. Calling him a second string center who can eat minutes in the regular season almost feels generous. He's really a situational backup on a team that needs rebounding help.

The Warriors were willing to offer something of value for Vuc before the Butler trade.

I don't think Vuc is an answer easy, especially in his age 35 season. He is having a completely outlier season for his career, why would I expect that to continue next year?

Regarding the Warriors, the #34 pick is something. We don't know what the Warriors were willing to offer and you can't assume their offer included an asset more valuable than the #34 pick.

Vuc provides rebounding and spacing. He's an easier guy to work into rotations for more teams. He's overpaid for that role, but on an expiring contract, that's an easy gamble to take. Nurkic is straight negative value even on an expiring contract. By all accounts, he's not a great locker room presence either. Next season could be his last in the NBA.

Unless we're talking about a nominal sum, a buyout contemplates him giving money back. Waiving him (or buying him out where he gives back very little) means that you no longer have that expiring contract to trade. He likely agrees with you that there's another contract waiting for him after this one, so paying him to stay away probably isn't in the cards.

The Suns called everyone, for moths, about taking Nurkic before attaching a first in order to turn him into a career backup.

Great deal, I was thinking of something similar
Both teams should do it

Joanie Loves it.