Nikola Vucevic has been a prominent name in Golden State Warriors trade discussions over recent months, with the veteran center still an option less than 24 hours from the deadline.
After they were rejected in their advance for Kevin Durant on Wednesday, the Warriors have turned their attention back to Jimmy Butler according to NBA insider Marc Stein. It's a strange decision given Butler has already told Golden State he won't re-sign beyond this season if traded to the Bay, but it's indicative of the franchise's aspirations to simply land another big name.
Trading for Nikola Vucevic would be a solid but underwhelming addition for the Warriors
According to ESPN's Shams Charania, the Warriors could pivot back to Vucevic if Butler doesn't materialize. The former 2x All-Star has always made a lot of sense given Golden State's need for a stretch five, yet they've never been willing to reach the Chicago Bulls' asking price for Vucevic.
That remains the case according to Bulls insider K.C. Johnson, but that may again change if they are unable to land Butler. In many ways Vucevic may actually make more sense than Butler, but that won't stop fans from viewing the Bulls big man as an underwhelming alternative if that is what takes place.
If you'd told many a week ago that Vucevic was Golden State's sole move before the deadline, then that probably would have been okay for a lot fans. But with the front office's aggression comes a level of expectation that something bigger will get done.
Over recent days the Warriors could have had Vucevic and a genuine All-Star level offensive player in Zach LaVine. but instead moved on to bigger pursuits which allowed the Sacramento Kings to swoop on LaVine in a 3-team trade.
Golden State have since inquired on a number of star players, most notably Durant and Butler who've now both indicated that they don't want to head to the Bay. Perhaps Butler may well be in play still, but even then he's not a particularly appetising trade target given his contract, age, injury history and desire to be with the Suns rather than the Warriors.
As for Vucevic, there would just be a sense of disappointment based on the thought that a Durant reuinon was a legitimate possibility. That's totally unfair on Vucevic who shouldn't draw those comparisons, but it's the reality of where Golden State have placed themselves in recent days. There's a growing level of frustration and pessimism among Warrior fans, and that may not necessarily dissipate even with a trade for Butler or Vucevic.