After making their blockbuster trade for Jimmy Butler, the Golden State Warriors left themselves some time to explore other moves prior to the mid-season deadline.
The most notable of those was Nikola Vucevic, with the Warriors holding interest in the 2x All Star even after the Butler trade. They and the Chicago Bulls were ultimately unable to come to terms on a deal, leaving some question marks for Golden State at the center position.
The Warriors have been further vindicated in their decision not to trade for Nikola Vucevic
Since the deadline, Steve Kerr has settled into a starting small-ball lineup with Draymond Green at the five, and with veteran Kevon Looney and impressive rookie center Quinten Post coming off the bench.
Post was a big factor for the Warriors in Tuesday's Play-In Tournament victory over the Memphis Grizzlies, drilling three triples in the first-half as part of an 11-point, five-rebound performance where he was also an equal team-high +12 in 22 minutes.
There are still some who believe that Golden State could do with a more experienced stretch five in the form of Vucevic, yet the Montenegrin's flaws were brutally exposed in Wednesday's Play-In loss to the Miami Heat.
Vucevic's liability as a defender was on full display as the Heat poured in 56 paint points in the 109-90 win at United Center. The 34-year-old did finish 16 points and 12 rebounds in 38 minutes, but it mattered little as he and Chicago's season came to and.
Miami's ability to coast to the rim with no resistance was stark in the first-half, having opened up a 24-point lead that had fans roasting Vucevic's defense on social media.
Nikola Vucevic is just an absolutely terrible defender
— Sean Barnard (@Sean_Barnard1) April 16, 2025
Where is the effort on defense from Nikola Vucevic and Patrick Williams, they are letting Herro and Bam cook them up for dinner tonight 😂pic.twitter.com/qc72ezPRsL
— SM Highlights (@SMHighlights1) April 17, 2025
It only took the Heat 4x playing the Bulls to realize you can have a layup whenever you want when Nikola Vucevic is out there
— The Bloody Horns Podcast (@HornsBloody) April 16, 2025
Golden State have surged into the playoffs thanks to a 23-8 record following the mid-season deadline, having built that on the back of the league's best defense during that period. Would the Warriors have made such a stunning turnaround with Vucevic playing a significant role? Wednesday's performance against a bottom 10-ranked Heat offense would categorically suggest 'no'.
Perhaps Vucevic could have taken Post's role and been effective in 20 minutes per game, but why trade assets to make that happen? Never mind the fact Vucevic is making $20 million per season, while Post is on a measly (by NBA standards) $440,000 after starting the year on a two-way contract.
Not that the Warriors really needed any further vindication of their mid-season roster changes, but the decision to forego a Vucevic trade was proven the right one again as the Bulls plot an offseason of more change to come.