Let's talk about a Vuc buyout

sco · Post #1 » by **sco** » Sat Jul 5, 2025 12:07 am

I for one love the idea of just buying him out if there isn't a trade that actually brings back a decent rotation player, which is looking increasingly likely.

For me it's not an issue as to whether Vuc is a good player or not. I would go so far as to say the team would be better off keeping him if we used him as our primary bench scorer, but I have zero faith that Billy would do it. With Vuc starting, we don't get to see the full potential of our new core with a balanced line-up on both ends.

I figure we could negotiate a $5M-$7M discount. I'm not sure how much, if any, extra capacity with the MLE to bring in a useful rotation piece.

dumbell78 · Post #2 » by **dumbell78** » Sat Jul 5, 2025 12:17 am

Bulls were never getting anything of value in a trade for him last trade deadline. Just let him walk at this point.

kodo · Post #3 » by **kodo** » Sat Jul 5, 2025 12:19 am

Another GM would use his sizable expiring to absorb a big contract for a pick or young player in this cost cutting environment, but we don't do that stuff in Chicago.

MisterRoy · Post #4 » by **MisterRoy** » Sat Jul 5, 2025 12:35 am

Can't they trade him for a 2nd but pay for most of his salary?

step · Post #5 » by **step** » Sat Jul 5, 2025 12:58 am

MisterRoy wrote:Can't they trade him for a 2nd but pay for most of his salary?

No, there's a limit on the amount of cash an NBA team can send out in a calendar year (~$7M).

Plus it would be a whole lot cheaper to buy a 2nd round pick directly instead.

PistolP · Post #6 » by **PistolP** » Sat Jul 5, 2025 1:04 am

If we can’t get anything of value for Vuc and someone like Denver is willing to offer him $10m or so, just buy him out and let him walk. Maybe with the savings the Bulls would actually use their $26m TPE to acquire someone who fits their timeline.

I agree that Vuc would be great as the primary big off the bench where he could bum slay but that will never happen here. In hindsight, we should have never traded for him, should have never extended him at 3/$60m, and should have traded him for positive value whenever that existed. But that’s all a sunk cost at this point. It’s just time to move on, play more athletic guys, and see what our team defense looks like without him.

Chi town · Post #7 » by **Chi town** » Sat Jul 5, 2025 1:29 am

We already have enough expirings in Huerter and Collins at 36M.

Buy him out and save Jerry some money.

Vuc hinders the progress and shots for Buz and others. Getting rid of him helps us buy in more to our new pace play style while also greatly improving our D.

I do think Billy will be forced to play big now too.

Giddey/Jones
Coby/Ayo
Okoro/Huerter
Buz/Pat/Noa
Collins/Smith

Salo23 · Post #8 » by **Salo23** » Sat Jul 5, 2025 1:31 am

Apparently his value at the previous trade deadline was a couple of 2nd round picks, but AK held out for a 1st rounder which he never got. But AK was said to have “laid significant groundwork” with teams for a Vuc trade in the offseason..

It seems now his value isn’t even 2 2nds, another missed opportunity, especially if we end up buying him out. Similar to when Philly offered us 3 2nd rounders for Drummond and we turned that down, barely played Drummond down the stretch, and he ended up signing with Philly anyway.

Muzbar · Post #9 » by **Muzbar** » Sat Jul 5, 2025 1:57 am

Screw it.

I'm in.

Buy him out. It opens up another roster spot and it potentially gives the young guys more touches.

Let's get the Vuc era over with.

boozapalooza · Post #10 » by **boozapalooza** » Sat Jul 5, 2025 2:10 am

Not gonna happen imo. Bulls want to win / compete this year, and like him or not, our team as currently constructed is better with Vuc on it. Still a useful player coming off a season where he was a key player for us. My guess is we keep him and let him play, in hopes of trading him at the deadline for anything of value.

I get Vuc wants to play for a contender, but no one wants him as of now. His agent would have to work backchannels and get creative to force some type of move.

Dominator83 · Post #11 » by **Dominator83** » Sat Jul 5, 2025 2:35 am

boozapalooza wrote:Not gonna happen imo. Bulls want to win / compete this year, and like him or not, our team as currently constructed is better with Vuc on it. Still a useful player coming off a season where he was a key player for us. My guess is we keep him and let him play, in hopes of trading him at the deadline for anything of value.

I get Vuc wants to play for a contender, but no one wants him as of now. His agent would have to work backchannels and get creative to force some type of move.

If hes willing to give up a good amount of money just to break free, he should go directly to uncle Jerry! don't even talk to AK, just go straight to the man that loves the bottom line more than winning

Chi town · Post #12 » by **Chi town** » Sat Jul 5, 2025 2:37 am

boozapalooza wrote:Not gonna happen imo. Bulls want to win / compete this year, and like him or not, our team as currently constructed is better with Vuc on it. Still a useful player coming off a season where he was a key player for us. My guess is we keep him and let him play, in hopes of trading him at the deadline for anything of value.

I get Vuc wants to play for a contender, but no one wants him as of now. His agent would have to work backchannels and get creative to force some type of move.

I’m not sure of the compete part.

Lots of smoke around a Coby trade for picks. Ayo the same.

We drafted the rawest project in the draft.

I think AK is all in on winning with a youth core. Think he’s fine if they don’t win and he gets a top pick in this draft.

If Bulls win and make playoffs with this young core even better for him.

Remember… AK wants to win not build a winner.

rosenthall · Post #13 » by **rosenthall** » Sat Jul 5, 2025 2:40 am

If Jonas V ends up going back to Europe I could see something transpiring where we buy out Vuc for 15-16 million and Denver uses whatever they have left of their exceptions to pick up the rest. Would be an almost lateral move for them compared to what they have now.

rosenthall · Post #14 » by **rosenthall** » Sat Jul 5, 2025 2:43 am

Also......I think the motivation for buying out Vuc isn't that he takes away shots from other guys......he's good at facilitating offensive flow and rarely forces things. It's also not to get better this year, because, for all of his warts, he helps the team as it's currently constructed. At least if he's shooting 40% from 3.

The reason to trade him is that it completes the transition away from the previous iteration of the team and fully aligns our roster with the team's new direction and gives a bigger chance to his backups to develop their role here.

Muzbar · Post #15 » by **Muzbar** » Sat Jul 5, 2025 3:01 am

rosenthall wrote:If Jonas V ends up going back to Europe I could see something transpiring where we buy out Vuc for 15-16 million and Denver uses whatever they have left of their exceptions to pick up the rest. Would be an almost lateral move for them compared to what they have now.

Exactly. If JV heads back to Europe and the Nuggets get access to the MLE they could essentially split it and get themselves two for the price of one.

Post #16 » by **HomoSapien** » Sat Jul 5, 2025 3:02 am

Typically I prefer waiting until the deadline just in case we can get something interesting back, but I think I'd rather just see what Smith can do Wiseman after we inevitably sign him.

ChiTownHero1992 · Post #17 » by **ChiTownHero1992** » Sat Jul 5, 2025 3:22 am

There's little to no reason at all to buy him out...he's an expiring, one of the few vets on the team and one of our only C's...besides that if anyone wants him they can ask for him, but no one really wants him all that bad right now, wait till the deadline, if no one wants him then you can think about a buy out

Also why on earth would you be asking for a 1st for him at this point! Your lucky to get a 2nd at best really

rosenthall · Post #18 » by **rosenthall** » Sat Jul 5, 2025 3:38 am

Jonas V to Panathiakos is looking like a done deal, from the sounds of it. If that's the case, if Denver can't sign big Al I'm not sure what else they'd do to find a center.

Denver is 10 million away from the first apron. If we bought out Vuc for 11.5 million they could sign him to an 8.5 mil / yr deal to make up the salary shortfall and it'd be a wash to Vuc.

The big appeal for Chicago is we'd have a roster spot to use our 17m trade exception we got from the Zach Lavine trade, which might be more useful than Vuc for next year.

Muzbar · Post #19 » by **Muzbar** » Sat Jul 5, 2025 3:42 am

rosenthall wrote:Jonas V to Panathiakos is looking like a done deal, from the sounds of it. If that's the case, if Denver can't sign big Al I'm not sure what else they'd do to find a center.

Denver is 10 million away from the first apron. If we bought out Vuc for 11.5 million they could sign him to an 8.5 mil / yr deal to make up the salary shortfall and it'd be a wash to Vuc.

The big appeal for Chicago is we'd have a roster spot to use our 17m trade exception we got from the Zach Lavine trade, which might be more useful than Vuc for next year.

I think you mean, let our 17m trade exception expire and not bother to ever use it.

rosenthall · Post #20 » by **rosenthall** » Sat Jul 5, 2025 3:53 am

Muzbar wrote:
rosenthall wrote:Jonas V to Panathiakos is looking like a done deal, from the sounds of it. If that's the case, if Denver can't sign big Al I'm not sure what else they'd do to find a center.

Denver is 10 million away from the first apron. If we bought out Vuc for 11.5 million they could sign him to an 8.5 mil / yr deal to make up the salary shortfall and it'd be a wash to Vuc.

The big appeal for Chicago is we'd have a roster spot to use our 17m trade exception we got from the Zach Lavine trade, which might be more useful than Vuc for next year.

I think you mean, let our 17m trade exception expire and not bother to ever use it.

If that is the plan then there's no point in buying out Vuc vs just letting him play out the year and possibly trading him at the deadline.

Buying out Vuc makes sense if we want to "trade" him for whoever we can get via our TPE. Otherwise, I don't see the benefit. People complain about him but we he was useful last year. I'd prefer that Collins start, but if they're both in the rotation I don't think it makes that big of a difference.