The Bulls’ Nikola Vucevic Experience might finally, mercifully be nearing its end. The former two-time All-Star’s $21.5 million salary comes off Chicago’s books this summer. So it’s encouraging to hear that Chicago is potentially in the market to add more center help this year. Grant Afseth of Dallas Hoops Journal reports that the Bulls and Indiana Pacers are both considering trades for second-year New Orleans Pelicans center Yves Missi.
Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints has also recently suggested that Indiana, at least, is interested in Missi. The Pacers, of course, have been badly in need of center reinforcements since Myles Turner’s free agent summer departure.
Of course, there’s also allegedly a chance that the Bulls will re-sign the 35-year-old Vucevic to yet another pointless contract extension. This is, after all, a deeply unserious Chicago franchise that doesn’t really know what it wants.
But things have gotten frustrating of late. Head coach Billy Donovan appears to trust Vucevic, above any of his younger players, to close out a game — to the point where he was drawing up critical inbounds actions for the 6-foot-9 USC product and making him run the length of the court to force up botched buzzer-beaters in a loss to the Brooklyn Nets.
Stephen Lew-Imagn ImagesAfseth pinpoints Indiana swingman Bennedict Mathurin, who’ll reach restricted free agency this summer, as a potential trade chip in a Missi deal.
The 6-foot-11 Baylor product, still just 21, looked like a major steal for New Orleans in 2024-25. He joined Matas Buzelis on the 2024-25 All-Rookie Team.
This year, with new additions Derik Queen and Kevon Looney cutting into his minutes, Missi has seen all his numbers regress. Missi has been averaging 5.4 points on 54.6 percent field goal shooting and 59.2 percent free throw shooting, 5.4 boards, 1.3 blocks, and 1.1 assists in just 18.2 minutes per.
Keep in mind, it’s not as if these players’ additions have helped New Orleans win anything.
The Pelicans are just 10-34 on the year, good for the top position in the Tankathon 2026 NBA Draft rankings. Unfortunately, they don’t even possess their own pick in what’s supposedly a loaded draft, having shipped that out to the Atlanta Hawks for the rights to Queen.
What Would Yves Missi Bring to Chicago?
The Cameroonian big man boasts explosive athleticism that would make him a refreshing pivot from Vucevic, a rim-rolling lob threat for Josh Giddey, and whatever configuration of Bulls guards remains rostered after the Feb. 5 trade deadline. Defensively, he can protect the rack with aplomb.
Missi is also averaging an encouraging 5.7 offensive rebounds per 36 minutes (2.9 in the 18.2 minutes he actually plays). Prolific offensive rebounding yields frequent second-chance scoring opportunities for his colleagues.
Vucevic is so lumbering that he’s always been an awkward fit within head coach Billy Donovan’s preferred pace-and-space lineups post-Zach LaVine. Missi is essentially everything Vucevic isn’t: a young big with upside and the ability to move laterally and vertically. In fairness, Missi doesn’t provide the floor spacing or passing that Vucevic gives the Bulls. Then again, where exactly has that gotten this woefully sub-mid 19-22 team, anyway?
There is no guarantee that Missi will grow into a reliable starting-caliber big. But with both Vucevic and Zach Collins potentially out the door in unrestricted free agency this summer, getting a younger piece with upside — who’s still on his rookie-scale contract — represents exactly the kind of swing Chicago team president Arturas Karnisovas should be taking.
Jalen Smith’s Upside for the Bulls
Jalen Smith, however, remains under team control for at least another season beyond this one. The 6-foot-8 Maryland product is in the second year of a three-season, $27 million mid-level exception deal he had signed in free agency during the summer of 2024.
Smith, 25, isn’t much of a rim protector, but he does have the requisite lateral quickness and 3-point semi-competence (he’s making 33.8 percent of his 4.1 triple tries, okay marks for a big) of a modern center.
Does he project to ever be a starting-caliber five? Not necessarily, but clearly, Donovan has enjoyed throwing him out there as an occasional starting power forward in two-big lineups next to Vucevic. Maybe a frontcourt tandem of Smith and Missi could be worth a look — although both players would need to level up significantly to strike fears in the hearts of their enemies.
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