Nikola Vucevic has closed the door on his overseas career.
The Chicago Bulls’ veteran big man spent the last handful of days competing in EuroBasket 2025 with his home country, Montenegro. Vucevic has been a staple on the senior national team since 2011, when he first entered the NBA. Over the years, he has competed in a combined six EuroBasket and World Cup tournaments, making Montenegro a mainstay on the international stage.
Vucevic spoke about this latest EuroBasket being the potential end of his national team career even before the competition tipped off. He proceeded to make the news official following Montenegro’s disappointing 89-83 loss to Great Britain. A victory would have sent the country into the Knockout Round thanks to a prior victory over Sweden. Instead, Montenegro will now head home early.
“It sucks for me to finish this way. It would have been great to go to the next round and play in Riga. It is what it is at this point,” Vucevic told reporters after the game (h/t BasketNews). “In the end, I’d like to thank all my teammates, all the coaches I’ve had, everyone in the federation, and especially the fans throughout my career for the national team. I will miss playing for the national team. It was a great honor to play. I wish it could end a different way, but that’s the way it is. It’s time for the next generation to leave their mark.”
While the team as a whole may have struggled to go out on a high note, Vucevic left a strong impression in his final performance. He dropped a tournament-high 31 points on the British with 11 rebounds and 7 assists. Vucevic also went an excellent 12-18 from the field to cap off what was an all-around strong five-game performance.
Mar 20, 2025; Sacramento, California, USA; Chicago Bulls center Nikola Vucevic (9) argues a call during the second quarter of the game against the Sacramento Kings at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Ed Szczepanski-Imagn ImagesNikola Vucevic Ends National Team Career
Occurring every four years, Nikola Vucevic would be headed toward 39 years old the next time Montenegro competes for the EuroBasket crown. The upcoming World Cup is two years closer in proximity (2027), but Vucevic would still be fresh off Year 16 as an NBA pro. With that being the case, his decision to focus strictly on his NBA career should not come as a major surprise.
It’s become abundantly clear that Vucevic is starting to enter a new phase of his basketball life. Once an All-Star-caliber player who was the backbone of the Orlando Magic offense, Vucevic has seen his job change drastically since coming to Chicago. The big man has taken on a more complementary role over the last few years, and this is expected to continue as he enters the final year of his contract with the Bulls.
Montenegro’s finest ?♂Thank you for everything, Nikola!#EuroBasket | #MakeYourMark pic.twitter.com/Q7EEZILvT5
— FIBA EuroBasket (@EuroBasket) September 3, 2025Many also expect Vucevic to either find a new home via trade in the coming months or hit the unrestricted free agent market in 2026. Precisely what his market will be remains unclear, as his age and more traditional frame could deter a handful of teams. Likewise, Vucevic’s defensive deficiencies have become a particularly criticized part of his game.
If his EuroBasket performance reminded front offices of anything, though, it’s that he can still be a valuable piece. The big man has been a walking double-double for a decade, and he does provide a rather rare ability to stretch the floor. Overall, Vucevic has averaged 17.9 points, 10.7 rebounds, and 3.3 assists a night over the last four seasons. He also played at least 73 games in each of those campaigns. Until those numbers drop exponentially, Vucevic will deserve a prominent rotational role in the NBA.
Still, we can not deny that this national team retirement indicates that Vucevic is inching closer to the end of his playing days. He clearly sees the light at the end of the tunnel in some regard, which makes you have to question how much longer he plans to suit up in the big leagues. Does he have the hunger to ring chase and bounce from team to team? Will he be comfortable adjusting to a potential bench role in the future?
To be sure, it’s likely safe to assume that Vucevic has at least a couple more years left in the tank. Again, his production has been too consistent, and he did speak to his desire to see more minutes in the playoffs at the end of last season. But the clock does feel like it has finally started to tick on Nikola Vucevic’s playing future, and it’s only more of a reason to believe he and the Bulls could look to send him to a winning environment sooner than later.
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