Nikola Vucevic, the 34-year-old center, has had a remarkable resurgence this year. After ranking 172nd in true shooting percentage among 193 qualified players last season, he has dramatically improved, now sitting 13th out of 199 players with an impressive 65.0 true shooting percentage. If you exclude players who attempt fewer than three three-pointers per game, Vucevic would be ranked fourth.
There’s no doubt that Vucevic is enjoying an outstanding season, and his performance hasn’t gone unnoticed. Multiple teams have shown interest in the sharpshooting center. Initially, the Phoenix Suns were reported to be considering a trade that would send their current starter, Jusuf Nurkic, to Chicago in exchange for Vucevic.
However, such a trade is complicated, as the Suns are a financially restricted second-apron team, unable to absorb additional salary without sending out a comparable amount. This makes a direct Vucevic-for-Nurkic swap unfeasible.
In addition to the Suns, the Golden State Warriors have continued to pursue the Montenegrin big man. While there had been significant speculation about a potential trade involving disgruntled Miami Heat star Jimmy Butler to the Warriors, recent reports have clarified that Golden State is no longer actively pursuing the 6-foot-7 forward.
Nikola Vucevic is the most discussed Warriors’ trade target
According to The Athletic, Golden State is not “currently seen as a viable option” for the Heat to initiate a trade revolving around Butler. The Warriors reportedly favor their wing duo, consisting of Andrew Wiggins and Jonathan Kuminga, over the 35-year-old Butler. Instead of acquiring a wing earning north of $50 million, Golden State’s true interest is a reasonably priced stretch center.
The Athletic went on to name Vucevic as the Warriors’ “more discussed…trade target.” The front office is reportedly inclined to add a sweet-shooting big man to open up space for Steph Curry, Wiggins, and Kuminga to operate in the halfcourt. Plus, Vucevic’s defensive deficiencies would be well-hidden on a team ranking in the top 10 in defensive rating and opponent’s points per game, field goal percentage, and three-point percentage.
The Warriors have typically trotted out 6-foot-9 Trayce Jackson-Davis as their starting five. While the 24-year-old forward has held up quite well as the starting pivot, he doesn’t provide the least bit of floor spacing. Jackson-Davis has attempted only two three-pointers in 100 career games. Furthermore, less than one percent of Jackson-Davis’s career field-goal attempts have come from further than 10 feet. The Indiana product is an interior scoring specialist who’s primary shot method is a dunk.
Vucevic adds an entirely different dimension to the Warriors’ offense. While the Steph Curry and Steve Kerr-led Warriors have typically been known as a knockdown three-point shooting squad, that isn’t exactly the case this season. Golden State launches a good amount of triples, ranking fourth in the NBA. However, Golden State ranks 15th in the association in three-point conversion rate at 36.5 percent.
