As the Golden State Warriors have sought out a center over the past year, a name that has been frequently floated as a potential trade target has been that of Nikola Vucevic of the Chicago Bulls.
While the Warriors are presumed to be signing veteran center Al Horford following the resolution to their Jonathan Kuminga stand-off, a trade for Vucevic still remained a viable option in case of any more unforeseen issues this offseason.
Yet, with Vucevic's recent comments about his desire to remain with the Bulls for now, it appears as though that option has temporarily come off the table as well.
A trade for Nikola Vucevic has become an even more remote possibility
Prior to their acquisition of Jimmy Butler at the trade deadline last season, it was heavily rumored that Golden State had entered negotiations for a potential trade that would bring Vucevic to The Bay. While the Butler move ultimately worked out swimmingly, one can only help but wonder if having Vucevic would have made any difference as the Warriors struggled on the interior throughout both their playoff matchups.
Now, however, Vucevic, playing for his native Montenegro in the current Eurobasket tournament, expressed his desire to Basketnews to see out his contract in Chicago: "Yes, of course. I mean, it has been good for me there... We will see—I have one more year left with them, so we will see what happens if I stay or if something changes. But yeah, obviously, I would love to win in Chicago."
Therefore, while Vucevic evidently remains open to a deal if one were to come on the table at some point during the course of the season, it appears as though his standing desire is to remain with the Bulls for the time being.
Coupled with the Bulls' stated desire to retain Vucevic into the upcoming final year of his contract, in order to either compete for a playoff spot or to use him as a trade chip if things go south, it appears that the veteran center will not be available until at least the trade deadline.
While the Warriors are almost certainly set to sign Horford at this point, their stand-off with Kuminga has introduced an anxiety-inducing amount of uncertainty into the situation, with Horford even being rumored to have considered retirement throughout this offseason.
Moreover, at age 39, it is also an unfortunate possibility that injuries could shorten Horford's campaign, leaving Golden State yet again desperate to fill that role.
Therefore, as it becomes a more and more remote possibility that the Warriors could acquire Vucevic anytime soon, a viable back-up plan also comes off the table for the time being.