Saturday brought a disastrous end to the season for the Boston Celtics, but particularly long-rumored Golden State Warriors target Nikola Vucevic who failed to see the floor at all in the deciding Game 7 of their first-round series against the Philadelphia 76ers.
Vucevic had averaged 19 minutes through the first six games of the series, but was a DNP with the season on the line in a signal that he could be in reach of the Warriors or another rival team ahead of free agency.
Nikola Vucevic could be available to the Warriors in free agency
Vucevic's DNP was certainly a notable aspect from Boston's 109-100 defeat that put the final touch on a remarkable series win for the 76ers after facing a 3-1 deficit. The 35-year-old had been the notable mid-season trade acquisition for the Celtics, while they lost a crucial source of offense before the game when Jayson Tatum was ruled out with a calf injury.
Neemias Queta and Luka Garza then both battled foul trouble within the game, but that too didn't matter as the Celtics chose to go to various small-ball lineups rather than turn to the experienced Vucevic.
With the veteran center now set to hit free agency, it's hard to see him remaining at the Celtics following Saturday's game. It's also hard to see any team giving the Montenegrin anywhere close to the $21.5 million he made this season, with his playoff viability now under real doubt and unlikely to get much better considering his age.
Yet while certainly entering the latter stages of his career, Vucevic has remained incredibly durable throughout his career. He's now played at least 62 games in each of the past eight seasons, and has played at least 57 games in each of the past 14 years.
Nikola Vucevic could still appeal to the Warriors on a cheap contract
The Warriors should be trying to get younger and more athletic, but Vucevic's durability could still appeal to them if one of Kristaps Porzingis and Al Horford were to depart in free agency this offseason.
Golden State did have a level of interest in Vucevic dating back to last season, and so much so that he was the player arguably most linked to the franchise before they ultimately traded for star forward Jimmy Butler.
Could Vucevic be willing to take a cheap contract to play a large role on a veteran, contending team? That's not outside the realm of possibilities. Even if he became an afterthought in Golden State's rotation as we just saw with Boston, Vucevic could still be important during a long regular season.
Vucevic averaged 16.9 points, 9.0 rebounds and 3.8 assists in his 48 games with the Chicago Bulls this season, before seeing his role diminish at the Celtics where he posted 9.7 points, 6.6 rebounds and 2.0 assists in 21 minutes per game.
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